A New Era in Carbon Capture Begins in Iceland
In a groundbreaking move for the planet, Iceland has officially activated “Mammoth,” the world’s largest air-cleaning machine designed to pull carbon dioxide directly out of the atmosphere. Built by the Swiss climate tech company Climeworks, this geothermal-powered facility represents a bold leap forward in the global fight against climate change.
Located in the Hellisheiði region of Iceland, Mammoth is powered entirely by renewable geothermal energy — one of the country’s most abundant natural resources. The plant has the capacity to remove 36,000 tons of CO₂ from the air every year. That’s ten times more than its predecessor, Orca, which was the previous largest direct air capture (DAC) facility in the world.
—
How Mammoth Works: Turning Air Pollution Into Stone
Mammoth’s technology is based on direct air capture, a process that extracts carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. Once captured, the CO₂ is mixed with water and sent underground, where it reacts with Iceland’s volcanic basalt rock formations. Over the course of two years, the gas mineralizes — effectively turning into solid rock.
This process is carried out in collaboration with Climeworks’ Icelandic partner, Carbfix, a company specializing in natural carbon mineralization. The partnership ensures that the carbon is permanently stored, meaning it will never re-enter the atmosphere.
Unlike temporary carbon offsets or storage methods that carry leakage risks, this approach offers true and lasting carbon removal, setting a new standard for sustainability and reliability in climate technology.
—
Small Steps Toward a Gigantic Goal
While 36,000 tons per year might sound impressive, it’s still a small number compared to the 40 billion tons of CO₂ humans emit globally each year. However, experts emphasize that facilities like Mammoth are vital early steps in scaling up the carbon removal industry.
Climeworks has set ambitious long-term goals — aiming to reach megaton-scale carbon removal capacity by 2030 and gigaton-scale by 2050. According to climate scientists, these levels of removal will be essential if the world is to meet the Paris Agreement targets and limit global warming to below 1.5°C.
The Iceland project showcases how innovation, renewable energy, and global cooperation can work together to build realistic solutions to climate change. It’s a hopeful reminder that technology can complement emission reductions — not replace them — in creating a sustainable future.
—
Why Iceland? The Perfect Location for Clean Innovation
Iceland is one of the few places in the world where this kind of operation is both technically feasible and environmentally clean. The island’s rich geothermal resources provide an endless supply of clean energy, while its basalt-rich geology makes it the perfect site for underground carbon storage.
By situating Mammoth in Iceland, Climeworks ensures the entire process — from capturing to storing CO₂ — is powered by zero-emission energy, making the system truly carbon-negative.
The facility also serves as a model for future global projects, showing how countries with renewable energy potential could host similar plants in the coming years.
—
A Glimpse Into the Future of Carbon Removal
Mammoth isn’t just a technological milestone — it’s a symbol of what the future could look like if the world commits to large-scale climate action. By directly cleaning the atmosphere and locking away harmful carbon, facilities like Mammoth represent real progress toward reversing climate damage.
As governments and private sectors invest more in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, experts believe the cost will drop and efficiency will rise, allowing widespread adoption worldwide.
While emission cuts remain the top priority, direct air capture offers hope for tackling the carbon that’s already in the sky — a necessary step for healing the planet.
—
Conclusion
The launch of the Mammoth plant in Iceland is a turning point in climate innovation. It’s proof that science, technology, and sustainability can come together to fight global warming in powerful new ways.
Though the road to a carbon-free planet is long, projects like Mammoth light the way forward — showing that with determination and innovation, we can truly clean the air and restore balance to our planet.
Source:
SkootEco – “Mammoth: The World’s Largest Air Carbon Capture Plant is Now Live in Iceland” (March 17, 2025)