THE FINANCIAL TIMES
Racing against the clock to decarbonise the planet

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On a desolate, snow-dusted stretch of Icelandic tundra, east of Reykjavik, eight giant metal boxes, stacked in twos, rise out of the ground on concrete stilts. Along one side, numerous black fans whirr continuously, sucking in the cool air. This direct air capture (DAC) plant, named Orca, is the feat of Swiss company Climeworks. The fans are “CO₂ collectors”: an essential cog in Climeworks’ mission of permanent carbon removal. Built in 2020, Orca is the first of its kind and the largest test of DAC technology to date.