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| Home > Publications database > Beyond Capture: Global Techno-Economic Potential of Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage |
| Home > Publications database > Beyond Capture: Global Techno-Economic Potential of Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage |
| Abstract | FZJ-2026-03145 |
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2026
Abstract: Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) is increasingly featured in global mitigationpathways as a scalable carbon dioxide removal option that enables durable and permanent CO₂storage. While techno-economic assessments of direct air capture (DAC) have expanded in recentyears, most analyses focus on capture costs alone and do not represent the full value chain requiredfor permanent CO₂ removal. As a result, current global potential estimates risk overstatingdeployable DACCS capacity by neglecting constraints associated with CO₂ transport and geologicstorage availability.This study presents a global techno-economic assessment of DACCS that integrates DAC, CO₂transportation, and geologic storage. Firstly, we derive the levelized cost of liquid solvent and solidsorbent DAC, using an integrated energy system model framework, which incorporates regionspecificrenewable potential, weather conditions, discount rates, and water costs. The regionalDAC potential and costs determined by selecting the lower-cost capture technology in eachlocation, serves as an input for the second cost optimization step where spatially resolved geologicstorage potentials and distance-dependent CO₂ transport costs are incorporated into the model.Geologic storage potential is characterized using global region-level datasets, accounting foronshore and offshore storage availability and screening-level injectivity constraints that limitfeasible CO₂ injection rates in depleted oil and gas fields and deep saline aquifers. CO₂ transportcosts are modeled as a function of distance and transport mode, capturing trade-offs betweenpipeline and shipping-based systems where applicable. Financing conditions are representedthrough country-specific discount rates, reflecting the influence of investment risk on regionalDACCS feasibility.At annual global DACCS deployment levels of up to 1.74 GtCO2 by 2050, consistent with theupper bound of IPCC mitigation pathways, cost-optimal deployment reaches levelized DACCScosts of up to 270 €/tCO2, of which CO2 transport and storage contribute approximately 2 to 60€/tCO2. The results show that lowest-cost DAC regions do not necessarily correspond to lowestcostDACCS deployment when storage availability is considered. Instead, lowest-cost DACCSdeployment, with levelized costs below 180 €/tCO2, is concentrated in low investment risk regionssuch as the United States of America, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, where access tolow-cost renewable energy and favorable weather conditions for DAC operation coincide withaccessible geologic storage capacity and short CO2 transport distances. By moving beyondcapture-only cost assessments, this study provides a realistic estimate of the global DACCSdeployment potential and highlights the importance of coordinated planning for CO₂ storagedevelopment, transport infrastructure, and financial de-risking mechanisms alongside continuedtechnological innovation in DAC systems.
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