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Orca: the first large-scale plant

Located in Iceland, Orca is the world's first large-scale carbon dioxide removal plant.

From vision to reality: Orca is launched

On September 8, 2021, we launched Orca, the world’s first and largest direct air capture and storage plant, making carbon dioxide removal on large-scale a reality.

We improved the capture capacity of Orca by applying a new technology design. The facility consists of eight collector containers, with an annual capture capacity of 500 tons each. The containers are arranged around a central process hall that accommodates all electrics, such as the processing unit, allowing us to operate and control the facility from afar. 

The heat and electricity required to run the direct air capture process is supplied by the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant. An important aspect was that Orca is smoothly integrated into the beautiful Icelandic landscape. We therefore chose earthy colours and natural materials that give it a natural touch.

Mounting of the first four collectors
Mounting of the first four collectors
Ensuring that the second collector is placed correctly on top of the first
Ensuring that the second collector is placed correctly on top of the first
The first collector being lifted by a crane
The first collector being lifted by a crane
Mounting our first collector container
Mounting our first collector container
Our CO₂ liquefaction equipment being installed
Our CO₂ liquefaction equipment being installed
The cooling water pipes and hot water pipes that run from the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant to our process hall
The cooling water pipes and hot water pipes that run from the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant to our process hall
Covering the walls of our new process hall
Covering the walls of our new process hall
Infrastructure and foundation for the new generation of Climeworks' CO₂ collectors
Infrastructure and foundation for the new generation of Climeworks' CO₂ collectors

Status

Operational

Date

September 2021

Goal

Significant scale-up of Climeworks’ carbon dioxide removal capacity

Location

Iceland, Hellisheidi

Capture capacity

Up to 4,000 tons of CO₂ per year

The virtual tour of the Orca plant

Nathalie Casas, Head of Technology at Climeworks
Orca is Climeworks’ biggest facility to date. We are grateful for the pioneers that enabled us to increase the carbon dioxide removal capacity in Iceland. This facility demonstrates that carbon dioxide removal on a large scale is both possible and necessary.

Orca in the news

The Orca plant

The Economist

Shortly after 6 pm on September 9th, the Orca carbon-capture plant, located just outside Reykjavik in Iceland, switched on its fans and began sucking carbon dioxide from the air.
Read more
Reuters

Reuters

The world's largest plant that sucks carbon dioxide directly from the air and deposits it underground is due to start operating on Wednesday, the company behind the nascent green technology said.
Read more
Climeworks' Orca plant

The Financial times

The start-up behind the world’s biggest direct carbon capture plant said it would build a much larger facility that would permanently remove millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Read more

Launch of the world’s first large-scale direct air capture and storage plant

The 8th of September 2021 marked a monumental milestone in our company history, launching Orca, the world’s first large-scale direct air capture + storage plant with our Icelandic partner Carbfix.

The day began with the former President of Iceland, Mr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, who opened the launch event, followed by Ms. Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland, and Mr. Dagur B Eggertsson, Mayor of Reykjavik. We also welcomed renowned climate scientists Dr. Julio Friedmann of Columbia University and Prof. Thomas Stocker of the University of Bern, as well as Noah Deich, co-founder and President of climate-focused NGO, Carbon180. And last but certainly not least, Dr. Edda Aradottir, CEO of Carbfix- together with our co-CEOs Jan Wurzbacher and Christoph Gebald, who brought their vision of industrial-scale direct air capture and storage into reality.

Jan and Christoph at the inauguration day of the Orca plant

Our plants

2017
Capricorn

Capricorn was Climeworks' first direct air capture plant on an industrial scale.

2017
Arctic fox

Arctic Fox Our first facility in Iceland marked the beginning of permanent and safe carbon dioxide removal via direct air capture.

2021
Climeworks' Orca plant

Located in Iceland, Orca is the world's first large-scale carbon dioxide removal plant.

2022
On 28 June 2022, we announced the groundbreaking of Climeworks’ second, newest and largest direct air capture and storage plant, Mammoth.

On 28 June 2022, we announced the groundbreaking of Climeworks’ second, newest and largest direct air capture and storage plant, Mammoth.

2024
Located in Iceland, Mammoth is Climeworks' second commercial DAC+S plant and it is about ten times bigger than its predecessor plant, Orca.

Located in Iceland, Mammoth is Climeworks' second commercial DAC+S plant and it is about ten times bigger than its predecessor plant, Orca.

Lead the race toward net zero

High-quality carbon removal for your climate strategy.

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