Geospatial techno-economic and environmental assessment of different energy options for solid sorbent direct air capture

Direct air capture (DAC) is a promising carbon dioxide removal technology, but its effectiveness hinges on access to cheap, low-carbon energy. Here, we present a spatial techno-economic and environmental assessment of the coupling of solid sorbent DAC with different energy sources. We found that the most cost- and energy-efficient option is to couple DAC with thermal power plants, e.g., nuclear and natural gas combined cycle with carbon capture. These two options have a gross levelized cost of DAC (LCOD gross ) starting at $246–$503 and $314–$557 per tCO 2 , respectively, for different regions. For renewable energy and energy storage options, regions with good solar irradiation can achieve low LCOD gross , at $319 per tCO 2 when utilizing concentrated solar power, whereas regions with low solar irradiation are unsuitable for this option due to the high cost and large land requirement. Achieving an LCOD gross of ≤$200 per tCO 2 would require significant improvements in the current technology.