In order to achieve this objective, to be carbon neutral, Microsoft intends to halve emissions this decade and to invest into technologies that can ”erase” the carbon the company emmits every year.

According to Climeworks officials, cited by edie.net, the partnership with Microsoft is one of the largest in the DAC space and aims to remove tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Presently, Climeworks operates 17 DAC units, including an unit named Orca, which is operating on a commercial level. Orca was opened in the fall of last year in Iceland and has a capacity of CO2 removal of 4,000 tonnes/year.

Recently, the Swiss company confirmed its plans to open an 18th unit. Called Mammoth, the DAC unit will be opened in 2024, at the latest, and its carbon dioxide capture capacity will be 36,000 tonnes/year.

Climeworks has plans alongside the companies with which it has partnerships, to reach a capacity of two megatonnes by 2030.

Climeworks captures CO2 from air via commercial carbon dioxide removal technology. Its direct air capture plants capture CO2 with a filter, using mainly low-grade heat as an energy source.

The pure CO2 gas is then sold to customers in key markets, including commercial agriculture, food and beverage industries, the energy sector and the automotive industry.

According to a recent report published by the Energy Transitions Commission, in 2050, the world will need to capture 7 to 10 gigatonnes of CO2.