Start-up in sight for world’s biggest DAC plant
Facility in Permian Basin dwarfs existing plants with capacity to capture one million tons of CO<sub>2</sub> a year from the air
The world’s largest direct air capture (DAC) plant, to be constructed in the Permian Basin region of Texas, is on track for a late 2024 startup, Steve Oldham, CEO of Carbon Engineering (CE), the technology company behind the project, tells Transition Economist. And in March, CE pre-sold mitigated carbon dioxide (CO2) from the project to Shopify through its new CO2 removal service, making the global commerce company its first client. Squamish, British Columbia-based CE in partnership with 1 PointFive, a development company formed by Oxy Low Carbon Ventures—a subsidiary of US independent Occidental Petroleum—and Rusheen Capital Management, a Santa Monica, California-based private equity firm,
Also in this section
6 November 2025
After years of pursuing ideologically driven climate leadership, Western powers are now stepping back under mounting political pressure and rising populist opposition—prompting concern essential climate action could be sidelined
17 October 2025
The business case for CCS is strengthening as costs decline, but deployment must accelerate to align with credible net-zero scenarios
17 October 2025
The black-tie gala recognised the energy industry’s leading innovations and thought leaders from across the value chain
15 October 2025
Company warns against potential withdrawal of federal funding for emerging technology as it eyes key role for CO₂ in boosting both conventional and shale oil recovery in US






