Carbon capture startup adopts a “good enough” approach to drastically reduce costs

Glen Meyerowitz, founder of Clairity Technology, challenges the conventional approach of striving for perfection in direct air capture (DAC) technology. While most carbon capture companies aim for almost entirely pure streams of CO2, Meyerowitz believes that pursuing such high purity levels is unnecessary and costly.

Clairity recently secured a $6.75 million seed round led by Initialized Capital and Lowercarbon Capital. The company is focused on developing DAC technology that captures CO2 at lower purity levels, which allows for lower precision in design and reduces costs.

In contrast to the prevailing trend in the DAC market, Meyerowitz’s approach prioritizes efficiency and affordability. Instead of targeting purity levels exceeding 99%, Clairity’s technology aims for around 80% purity. This intentional compromise allows the company to streamline its design and operations, ultimately lowering the cost of carbon capture.

Despite CO2 constituting only a fraction of the Earth’s atmosphere, there’s growing recognition of the necessity of DAC technology in mitigating climate change. However, current DAC solutions are prohibitively expensive, largely due to a focus on achieving ultra-high purity levels.

Meyerowitz and his team are pioneering a more pragmatic approach to DAC, demonstrating that achieving “good enough” purity levels can be sufficient for effective carbon capture. As Clairity continues to scale up its operations, its innovative approach could play a significant role in making DAC more economically viable and accessible.

Glen Meyerowitz envisions a scalable approach to direct air capture (DAC) akin to constructing an apartment building, aiming to significantly reduce system costs. By embracing impurities in the captured gas stream, Clairity’s technology produces a product that may not be suitable for every application but holds promise for many.

The impurities present in Clairity’s CO2 stream are naturally occurring and already exist in the atmosphere. While the resulting product may not meet the purity standards required for certain applications, it can still be valuable in various contexts.

One promising application is in the production of concrete. Incorporating carbon dioxide into concrete enhances its quality, resulting in improved material properties and strength while requiring less material for a given application. In collaboration with CarbonBuilt, Clairity recently contributed to the creation of a concrete block using 28 grams of CO2 captured by its compact DAC unit, which is about the size of a dorm fridge and can process approximately 100 kilograms per year. This innovative approach demonstrates the potential for utilizing captured CO2 in value-added products with positive climate impacts.