As the world continues to overshoot emissions targets, direct air capture (DAC) is increasingly seen as a vital tool in the climate toolbox. But the technology is still at a relatively early stage, costs remain high, and perception challenges persist.
At the European CO2 Summit 2025, a panel of DAC pioneers explored the future of the technology, the hurdles to overcome, and how modular design and operational data are opening up a pathway to commercial scale. Anthony Wright reports
The panel Rob van Straten, CEO, Skytree Pól Ó Móráin, CEO and Co-founder, Carbon Collect Matt Atwood, CEO and Co-founder, Aircapture Chair: Rob Cockerill, Global Content Director, gasworld
“Even if we stop all emissions today, we still have too much CO2 in the atmosphere.”
That blunt opening from Rob van Straten, CEO of Dutch firm Skytree, set the tone for a DAC panel that pulled no punches. Speaking at the European CO2 Summit in Rotterdam, van Straten stressed the urgency of developing the technology, while also acknowledging the barriers that remain.
Despite its potential, DAC has struggled to gain widespread acceptance. “Let’s not kill it before it’s born,” he warned. “The technology isn’t that complicated, but it’s uncharted territory.”
The panel brought together three players trying to change that, each with a different approach but a shared belief in DAC’s future. For Matt Atwood, CEO of US-based Aircapture, the biggest hurdle remains clear.
“Cost is still the number one issue. But the more projects we get in the ground, the more we can prove that DAC works and can scale.”
Aircapture has already logged more than 20,000 hours of operational time and reported a system reliability rate of over 90 percent. That reliability, said Atwood, will be crucial to convincing early adopters.
Skytree’s strategy leans into modularity, designing smaller DAC machines that can be deployed quickly and scaled out across sites. Van Straten believes that’s the best way to accelerate innovation.
©gasworld
“If you build machines rather than plants, you can iterate faster. We’re developing new versions in three months, not three years.”
It’s a model echoed by Dublin-based Carbon Collect. Pól Ó Móráin, the company’s CEO, said their focus has shifted from building large plants to optimising smaller, repeatable units that can adapt to local conditions.
“We’re designing for utilisation factor now, not just theoretical performance,” he explained. “Weather, humidity, even altitude – all of these affect performance. You need to design for the real world.”
That real-world focus has already shaped Carbon Collect’s MechanicalTree project in Arizona, as well as climate modelling work across the US. “We looked at 15 years of weather data across three sites and found we needed to design differently for each one. That’s the only way you get a true picture of capture capability.”
The conversation returned often to public perception, which continues to lag behind the promise of the technology. In van Straten’s view, resistance to DAC is more emotional than logical.
“People resisted electric vehicles for years, saying they’d never work. It’s the same with DAC. Once the technology proves itself, perceptions change.”
Móráin put it another way. “If carbon dioxide were visible people would be demanding action. But it’s invisible, so it’s easy to ignore.”
DAC, said Atwood, has also been held back by outdated assumptions. “There was a report years ago saying DAC would never be viable under $800 per tonne. But they got the fundamentals wrong, and that shaped public and investor perception for far too long.”
That’s starting to shift as real-world performance data emerges. Skytree, for example, has been working with Wageningen University to test DAC-derived CO2 in greenhouses.
“We used our CO2 on cucumber plants, which are incredibly sensitive,” van Straten said. “Our gas was over 98% pure, with no harmful traces. That kind of validation helps change minds.”
Direct air captured CO2 has been tested by Skytree on cucumbers, which are notoriously sensitive to CO2 levels
Beyond perception, there are also practical deployment challenges. Siting DAC plants isn’t just about where emissions are highest or where energy is cheapest – it’s about balancing access to renewables, infrastructure for storage or utilisation, and local permitting realities.
“You need access to renewable energy, but also a downstream destination,” said van Straten. “If you can connect to waste heat or CCS infrastructure, that’s ideal. But there are a lot of sweet spots around the world that could work.”
Permitting remains a thorny issue, especially in the US, where a single sequestration well can cost upwards of $2.5m. “In Africa, it might be $500,000,” noted Móráin. “But then the permitting and logistics are different. Everything is context dependent.”
Despite the early stage of the sector, the mood on the panel was largely upbeat. All three companies are preparing for commercial deployments and believe that the tipping point is close.
“In a year’s time, I think we’ll be having a very different conversation,” said Atwood.
“We’ve gone from theory to hardware,” added Móráin. “And now the focus is on cost, scale, and optimisation. AI and machine learning will help with that. I’m not convinced we’ll hit $200 per tonne industry-wide, but [I believe Carbon Collect] can get well under it – and we’re getting there.”
Van Straten ended on a pragmatic note, pointing to a key milestone ahead.
“The first billion in DAC revenue will be a turning point. That’s when the cost of carbon removal will really come down.”
He also acknowledged the long road ahead, referencing a poll shared earlier in the event that gave DAC just a 4% vote share among new CO2 sourcing pathways.
“We’ll take it,” he said, smiling. “Four percent of the market share? Let’s go for that.”
