With Direct Air Capture, We Can Reach Ireland’s CO₂ Emission Targets
All countries need to meet their carbon emission targets in order to help avert the worst effects of climate change. But according to an Environment Protection Agency news release in May 2024, Ireland will not meet its EU target of 42% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Failure to meet these targets will leave Ireland open to c. €5 billion in fines. Instead of wasting these billions of Euros on fines for failing to achieve national emissions targets, Ireland should pro-actively invest in carbon removal technologies such as Direct Air Capture (DAC).
DAC involves the capture of CO₂ from the atmosphere, which is then either sequestered underground or in disused oil and gas wells or utilised in other processes. (For more, see How Does Direct Air Capture Work)
Feasibility of carbon storage in Ireland
Ireland’s climate is ideally suited to Direct Air Capture technology deployment and we can capture millions of tonnes of CO₂ per annum.
So, the major issue is where can we store the captured CO₂? Ireland does not have many suitable sites for storing captured CO₂.
The depleted Kinsale Head oil well off the coast of Cork may have been an option, however, the infrastructure has not been maintained and it would be too costly to upgrade it.
Another possibility is the Corrib gas project off the coast of Mayo which has an available gas pipeline and will be depleted in about 2025. If the pipeline and other infrastructure are maintained, the Corrib gas well could be a viable option for CO₂ storage.
The EU has a Connecting Europe Fund which intends to build a fleet of CO₂ transport ships to transport CO₂ from remote areas of Europe to a central storage site for CO₂ off Norway. This initiative is called the Northern Lights Capture and Storage project and it is also an option for Ireland.
Tackling Ireland’s emissions: could Direct Air Capture be the solution?
Ireland emits approximately 40 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. Of these, around 8.5 million tonnes are from ‘difficult emissions’ sources such as heavy-duty vehicles, aviation and shipping (6 million tonnes), cement and lime production (2 million tonnes), and waste incineration (0.5 million tonnes).
These sectors present unique challenges in the journey towards carbon neutrality, and traditional mitigation strategies will not be enough to achieve Ireland’s CO₂ reduction targets. DAC technology has the potential to deal with half the above difficult emissions sources with other methods such as biofuels, hydrogen and point source carbon capture handling the rest.
To meet the emissions goals, it’s becoming clear that Ireland will need to rely on innovative carbon capture solutions like Direct Air Capture technology.
How much carbon dioxide does Ireland need to capture?
To achieve net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050, Ireland will need to capture around 4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. To go beyond net-zero to negative, we are looking at 12 million tonnes per annum.
These figures take into account Ireland’s contribution to the total global historic accumulated CO₂ arising solely from anthropogenic sources which is about 1 trillion tonnes.
“This target may be partially achieved by afforestation or wetland development and other bio-based methods but these only lead to net-zero at best, if possible. The carbon capture targets would be better served by rapid development of man-made technology such as DAC,” said Don MacElroy, Technology Director at NEG8 Carbon.
This is where DAC parks step into the spotlight.
The potential of DAC parks in Ireland
For Ireland, establishing DAC parks would make all the difference in its emission reduction strategy.
To achieve Ireland’s CO₂ reduction targets, the country should establish a local manufacturing facility to produce DAC systems. If this facility produces around 500 DAC units per year, by 2040 Ireland could have the capacity to capture over 2 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, rising to 4 million tonnes by 2050, using DAC.
Ideally, the DAC park would be located besides the Cork terminal to take advantage of the Northern Lights project and avoid having any movement of CO₂ within Ireland itself. One of the stand-out benefits of DAC is that it is not limited by location as is the case of point-source carbon capture and can be built close to the point of sequestration.
“With the right investment and political will, this vision is certainly achievable. Also, this endeavour would position Ireland as a leader in DAC technology, with the ability to export these systems worldwide,” said Ray Naughton, Founder and Managing Director at NEG8 Carbon.
Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2024 backs carbon capture technology
The Irish government’s new Climate Action Plan 2024 recognises the need to accelerate emissions reduction while also considering carbon capture and storage as a solution. However, current legal restrictions on CO₂ storage and transport present concerns that need addressing. To achieve its net-zero target by 2050, Ireland must tackle these barriers and explore all available technologies, including Direct Air Capture, alongside ongoing renewable energy initiatives.
Ireland is emerging as a country of technological innovators that address the hurdles the country faces, and the fight to tackle the climate crisis is no different. The sooner ramped-up efforts begin to reduce Ireland’s emissions, the better equipped the country will be to meet its climate goals and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change.
For more: What is Carbon Sequestration?