According to the companies that own the plant, Wednesday marked the start of operation for the world's largest carbon dioxide-sucking plant and it is now turning rock into carbon dioxide.
Orca is the name of the plant. It is made up four units. Each unit is composed of two metal boxes similar to those used for maritime transport.
According to Climeworks in Switzerland and Carbfix in Iceland, the plant can draw 4,000 tonnes (CO 2) out of the atmosphere each year when it is operating at full capacity.
This is equivalent to about 870 cars emitting emissions, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
The plant uses fans to extract carbon dioxide from the air. This is done by placing a filter material within the collector.
The Orca plant. (Climeworks).
After the filter material has been filled with CO 2, the collector is sealed and the temperature is increased to let out the CO 2. The highly concentrated gas is then collected.
The CO 2 is then mixed in with the water and injected into the basalt rock at a depth 1,000m.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS), as it is commonly known, can be a powerful tool in combating climate change.
Critics argue, however, that the technology is still too expensive and could take years to scale up.
Agence France-Presse
