Carbon capture materials (sorbents, membranes) KPIs by sector (with ranges)

In 2024, carbon capture startups raised over $2 billion in funding while the U.S. Department of Energy announced $3.1 billion in new carbon management opportunities. Yet despite this unprecedented investment, the global carbon capture pipeline stands at just 435 megatons per year of announced capacity—barely 40% of the 1 gigaton needed by 2030 to stay on track for net-zero emissions by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. The gap between ambition and deployment centers on a fundamental materials challenge: today's leading direct air capture (DAC) facilities operate at $600–$1,300 per ton of CO₂ removed, while economic viability requires reaching $100–$200 per ton. Closing this cost gap depends entirely on advances in the sorbents, membranes, and capture materials that determine system efficiency, energy consumption, and scalability.

Why It Matters

The physics of carbon capture are unforgiving. Removing CO₂ from power plant flue gas (12–15% concentration) requires fundamentally different materials than extracting it from ambient air (0.04% concentration). The choice of capture material determines every downstream KPI: how much energy the system consumes, how frequently sorbents must be replaced, and ultimately what price can be charged per ton of CO₂ sequestered.

For industrial emitters facing tightening regulations, these material choices translate directly to competitive positioning. The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), phasing in through 2026, will impose costs on carbon-intensive imports. Cement, steel, and chemical manufacturers that deploy effective capture technologies gain market access that competitors without such capabilities will lose. The $400–$600 per ton cost of current point-source capture systems already pencils out against carbon prices in some jurisdictions—the EU ETS exceeded €90 per ton in 2024—but the energy penalty (25–40% of plant output) often makes deployment economically prohibitive.

For the climate itself, the stakes are existential. The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report projects that limiting warming to 1.5°C requires capturing 5–10 gigatons of CO₂ annually by 2050. Current operational capacity sits at approximately 50 megatons per year—a gap of two orders of magnitude. Meeting this challenge requires not just more capture facilities, but fundamentally better materials: sorbents with higher working capacity, membranes with greater selectivity, and systems that regenerate using low-grade heat rather than energy-intensive thermal swings.

This article examines the materials science driving carbon capture performance, the key performance indicators that separate viable approaches from laboratory curiosities, and the practical implementation lessons emerging from first-generation commercial deployments.

Key Concepts

Solid Sorbents: Solid sorbent systems use porous materials that chemically or physically bind CO₂ molecules. Amine-functionalized sorbents—where nitrogen-containing compounds are grafted onto porous supports like silica or alumina—dominate commercial DAC applications. Climeworks' Gen 3 technology uses proprietary amine sorbents that achieve CO₂ uptakes of 2–3 mmol/g at ambient conditions, regenerating at 80–100°C using low-pressure steam. The critical KPIs are working capacity (usable CO₂ absorbed per cycle), regeneration energy (kWh per ton CO₂), and cycling stability (performance degradation over thousands of adsorption-desorption cycles).

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs): MOFs represent the next generation of solid sorbents—crystalline materials with extraordinarily high surface areas (up to 7,000 m²/g) and precisely tunable pore structures. CALF-20, developed at the University of Calgary and commercialized through BASF, demonstrates exceptional durability (>450,000 cycles with steam regeneration), high CO₂ selectivity over water vapor, and low-temperature regeneration below 100°C. Industry analysts project 50× demand growth for MOFs in carbon capture applications between 2027 and 2035.

Membrane Separation: Membrane systems exploit differences in molecular size and solubility to separate CO₂ from gas mixtures. High-performance polymer membranes achieve CO₂/N₂ selectivity ratios of 20–50 while maintaining permeance sufficient for industrial throughput. Recent advances in thermally crosslinked polyethylene oxide (PEO) membranes approach the 2019 Robeson upper bound—the theoretical limit of the permeability-selectivity tradeoff. Membrane systems offer lower capital costs than sorbent-based approaches but face challenges with humidity and contaminants in real-world gas streams.

Energy Penalty: The thermodynamic minimum energy required to capture CO₂ from flue gas is approximately 200 kWh per ton; practical systems consume 250–400 kWh per ton depending on technology. For DAC, where CO₂ concentrations are 300 times lower, theoretical minimums approach 500 kWh per ton with commercial systems currently requiring 1,500–2,500 kWh per ton. Reducing this energy penalty represents the primary lever for cost reduction—Climeworks' Gen 3 technology targets 50% energy reduction versus current operations.

What's Working and What Isn't

What's Working

Modular Solid Sorbent Systems: Svante's May 2025 launch of the world's first gigafactory for carbon capture filters in Burnaby, British Columbia, demonstrates that solid sorbent technology has crossed the threshold from pilot to industrial scale. The 141,000 square-foot facility produces filters capable of capturing 10 million tons of CO₂ annually—equivalent to removing over 2 million cars from roads. Svante's rotary contactor design regenerates filters every 60 seconds using low-pressure steam, achieving 95% CO₂ capture efficiency from industrial sources at 12–20% CO₂ concentration.

Enhanced Limestone Mineralization: Heirloom Carbon's approach accelerates natural weathering processes, using heated limestone (calcium oxide) that absorbs CO₂ from ambient air over three days rather than years. Their Tracy, California facility—North America's first commercial DAC plant—captures 1,000 tons annually at current costs of $600–$1,000 per ton, with a pathway to $100 per ton through automation and scale. The December 2024 Series B of $150 million, led by Lowercarbon Capital, funds expansion to Louisiana with 320,000 tons per year capacity by 2026.

Atom-Level Amine Engineering: A June 2024 Nature Communications paper demonstrated that atomic-level design of amine-support interactions prevents carbamate dehydration—a degradation mechanism that has limited sorbent lifetime in previous systems. The resulting materials achieved stable working capacity across extended cycling with regeneration temperatures below 100°C, addressing the energy penalty challenge that has constrained commercial viability.

Policy-Driven Deployment: The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act's enhanced 45Q tax credit—$180 per ton for DAC with geological storage versus $85 per ton for point-source capture—has fundamentally altered project economics. Occidental Petroleum's 1PointFive STRATOS facility in Texas, targeting 500,000 tons per year by late 2025, benefits from this incentive structure that effectively subsidizes current technology costs while materials science advances toward economic self-sufficiency.

What Isn't Working

Moisture Sensitivity in MOFs: Despite exceptional performance under laboratory conditions, many metal-organic frameworks degrade rapidly in humid environments typical of industrial flue gas or ambient air. Water molecules compete for adsorption sites, reduce CO₂ capacity, and in some cases trigger structural collapse. CALF-20's water stability represents an exception rather than the rule—most high-capacity MOFs require dehumidification of inlet gas, adding cost and complexity.

Membrane Fouling and Degradation: Polymer membranes that perform well with synthetic gas mixtures often fail when exposed to real-world contaminants—SOx, NOx, particulates, and trace organic compounds present in power plant emissions. Long-term stability data remain limited; most commercial membrane systems require replacement every 3–5 years, with performance declining throughout that period.

Scale-Up Synthesis Challenges: The gap between laboratory-scale MOF synthesis (milligrams to grams) and industrial production (tons) remains a fundamental barrier. BASF estimates approximately two years of development work per MOF to establish reliable multi-kilogram batch synthesis with consistent quality. Manufacturing costs for advanced sorbents often exceed the cost of the equipment in which they're deployed.

DAC Cost Trajectory Skepticism: A March 2024 ETH Zurich study projected that even at gigaton scale, DAC costs would remain in the $230–$540 per ton range by 2050—far above the $100 per ton target that the DOE's Carbon Negative Shot program envisions. The analysis suggests that thermodynamic constraints and materials limitations may prevent DAC from ever achieving cost parity with avoided emissions, implying a more modest role in climate mitigation than optimistic projections suggest.

Key Players

Established Leaders

Climeworks — Swiss DAC pioneer with operational Orca (4,000 t/yr) and Mammoth (36,000 t/yr) facilities in Iceland. Gen 3 technology targets $400–$600 per ton by 2030 with 50% energy reduction.
Carbon Engineering / 1PointFive — Acquired by Occidental Petroleum for $1.1 billion in 2023. Liquid solvent DAC technology targeting $97–$168 per gross ton at megaton scale.
BASF — Chemical giant producing CALF-20 MOF sorbents at commercial scale. Strategic supplier to Svante and other filter manufacturers.
Air Liquide — Industrial gas leader with portfolio of cryogenic and membrane CO₂ separation technologies for point-source capture.

Emerging Startups

Svante — Canadian company with $600 million raised since 2007. Opened world's first carbon capture filter gigafactory in May 2025 with 10 million ton annual capacity.
Heirloom Carbon — Limestone mineralization DAC. $150 million Series B (Dec 2024). 315,000-ton Microsoft contract—one of the largest CO₂ removal deals to date.
Verdox — MIT spinout developing electrochemical carbon capture. $80 million Series B (2022) co-led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
AspiraDAC — Flexible modular DAC systems that can swap between different MOF sorbent chemistries as technology evolves.

Key Investors & Funders

Breakthrough Energy Ventures — Bill Gates–founded climate fund with $3.5 billion committed across 110+ companies. Active investments in DAC and sorbent technologies.
U.S. Department of Energy — $3.1 billion announced in December 2024 for carbon management, including $1.8 billion for Regional DAC Hubs and $1.3 billion for capture demonstration projects.
Lowercarbon Capital — Climate tech VC that led Heirloom's $150 million Series B. Over $2 billion assets under management focused on carbon removal.

Examples

1. Climeworks Mammoth — Megaton-Scale DAC in Iceland

Climeworks' Mammoth facility, operational since 2024 near Reykjavik, represents the largest DAC plant in the world at 36,000 tons of CO₂ captured annually. The facility uses 72 modular collector units, each containing proprietary amine sorbent filters that adsorb CO₂ from ambient air, then release it when heated to 80–100°C using waste heat from the nearby Hellisheidi geothermal plant. Captured CO₂ is injected underground with partner Carbfix, where basalt mineralization converts it to rock within two years.

The implementation lesson centers on energy sourcing. Mammoth's near-zero marginal energy cost—geothermal electricity at less than $0.02/kWh—enables operation that would be uneconomic elsewhere. Climeworks sells carbon removal credits at approximately $1,500 per ton to corporate buyers including Microsoft, Shopify, and Stripe, with costs expected to decline to $400–$600 per ton as Gen 3 sorbents with higher working capacity and lower regeneration temperatures deploy through 2030.

2. Svante at Lafarge Cement — Point-Source Industrial Capture

Svante's pilot deployment at Lafarge's Richmond, British Columbia cement plant demonstrates solid sorbent capture from industrial flue gas—a fundamentally different application than DAC. Cement production generates CO₂ both from combustion (heating kilns) and calcination (chemical decomposition of limestone), resulting in flue gas at 15–25% CO₂ concentration. Svante's rotary contactor technology cycles proprietary filters through adsorption and regeneration every 60 seconds, capturing 95% of CO₂ at energy consumption of approximately 2 GJ per ton.

The implementation lesson involves integration complexity. Unlike DAC facilities sited specifically for capture, cement plant retrofits must accommodate existing equipment, variable production schedules, and downstream CO₂ utilization or storage infrastructure. Svante's modular skid-mounted design—developed in partnership with Samsung E&A—reduces on-site construction time and enables factory-quality manufacturing, addressing deployment barriers that have delayed other capture projects.

3. Heirloom at Tracy, California — Enhanced Weathering at Commercial Scale

Heirloom's Tracy facility, operational since late 2023, takes a fundamentally different approach: rather than synthesizing novel sorbents, it accelerates natural carbon mineralization. Crushed limestone (calcium carbite) is heated to produce lime (calcium oxide), which is spread in trays exposed to ambient air. CO₂ absorption occurs over approximately three days—compared to years for natural weathering—after which the now-calcite is reheated to release pure CO₂ for storage, and the cycle repeats.

The implementation lesson concerns materials durability. Unlike sorbent systems where materials degrade through thermal cycling and contamination, Heirloom's limestone can cycle thousands of times without performance loss. This durability advantage enables cost reduction through system longevity rather than materials science breakthroughs. CarbonCure's concrete partnership provides a storage pathway that generates revenue—CO₂-cured concrete is denser and stronger than conventional concrete—creating a business model less dependent on voluntary carbon credit pricing.

Action Checklist

Assess flue gas composition: Characterize CO₂ concentration, humidity, temperature, and contaminant profiles at potential capture sites to determine appropriate sorbent or membrane chemistry. Point-source capture (>10% CO₂) and DAC (<0.1% CO₂) require fundamentally different materials.
Evaluate energy integration opportunities: Map waste heat availability (quantity and temperature grade) to determine whether solid sorbent systems can regenerate using existing thermal resources. Low-grade heat below 100°C enables MOF and amine sorbent regeneration; higher temperatures may favor liquid solvent systems.
Model total cost of ownership: Calculate capture cost per ton including sorbent replacement frequency, energy consumption, and maintenance—not just capital expenditure. Systems with lower upfront cost but shorter sorbent lifetime may prove more expensive over project duration.
Secure storage or utilization pathway: Identify geological sequestration sites with Class VI well permits, or off-takers for captured CO₂ (enhanced oil recovery, concrete curing, synthetic fuels). Capture economics depend entirely on downstream value realization.
Structure financing around policy incentives: Model project returns incorporating 45Q tax credits ($85–$180/ton), California LCFS credits, and voluntary carbon market premiums. Current capture costs often require stacking multiple revenue streams for project viability.
Engage equipment suppliers for pilot commitments: Negotiate demonstration agreements with sorbent manufacturers (Svante, Climeworks) that include performance guarantees and technology refresh provisions as next-generation materials become available.

FAQ

Q: What are the critical KPIs for comparing carbon capture sorbent materials? A: Five KPIs determine commercial viability: (1) Working capacity—mmol CO₂ captured per gram of sorbent per cycle, with commercial materials achieving 1.5–3.0 mmol/g; (2) Regeneration energy—kWh required to release captured CO₂, ranging from 250 kWh/ton for efficient systems to >500 kWh/ton for early technologies; (3) Cycling stability—percentage capacity retention after thousands of adsorption-desorption cycles, with targets of <5% degradation over 10,000 cycles; (4) Selectivity—preference for CO₂ over water vapor, nitrogen, and oxygen, critical for DAC applications; (5) Regeneration temperature—lower temperatures enable use of waste heat and reduce energy penalty.

Q: Why is MOF technology not yet dominant despite superior laboratory performance? A: MOFs face three commercialization barriers. First, manufacturing scale-up: synthesizing crystalline frameworks with consistent pore structure at multi-ton scale requires process development that typically takes 2+ years per material. Second, moisture stability: most high-capacity MOFs degrade in humid conditions without expensive dehumidification. Third, cost: advanced MOFs can cost $100–$500 per kilogram, representing significant capital expenditure for large-scale facilities even if performance advantages offset operating costs. CALF-20's commercialization by BASF demonstrates that these barriers are surmountable but require substantial investment.

Q: How do current capture costs compare to carbon pricing? A: Point-source capture costs ($40–$120/ton for high-concentration industrial sources) already approach or undercut carbon prices in some jurisdictions—the EU ETS exceeded €90/ton in 2024, and California's LCFS credits trade above $150/ton. However, these economics apply only to concentrated CO₂ streams. DAC costs ($600–$1,300/ton currently) remain far above any compliance market price, relying instead on voluntary corporate purchases at premium prices. The gap closes only if either DAC costs fall dramatically (targets of $100–$200/ton by 2040) or compliance markets expand to credit atmospheric removal alongside avoided emissions.

Q: What role does membrane technology play versus sorbent systems? A: Membrane separation excels for bulk CO₂ removal from moderate-concentration streams—natural gas processing (15–20% CO₂) or biogas upgrading (40% CO₂)—where high throughput and continuous operation favor membrane economics. Sorbent systems dominate low-concentration applications (DAC, cement flue gas post-combustion) where higher selectivity and the ability to cycle through adsorption-desorption provide advantages. Hybrid approaches combining membrane pre-concentration with sorbent polishing may prove optimal for some industrial applications, reducing sorbent bed size while maintaining high capture efficiency.

Sources

International Energy Agency. (2024). "Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage." IEA Energy Technology Perspectives.
Deutz, S. & Bardow, A. (2024). "Life-cycle assessment of an industrial direct air capture process based on temperature–vacuum swing adsorption." ETH Zürich / Joule.
Climeworks AG. (2024). "Next Generation Tech Powers Climeworks' Megaton Leap." Climeworks Press Release.
Svante Inc. (2025). "Svante Launches World's First Commercial Gigafactory for Carbon Capture & Removal Filters." Business Wire.
U.S. Department of Energy. (2024). "DOE Announces $3.1 Billion Now Available for Carbon Management Technologies." DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
Nature Communications. (2024). "Atom-level interaction design between amines and support for achieving efficient and stable CO₂ capture."
IDTechEx. (2025). "Metal-Organic Frameworks 2025–2035: Markets, Technologies, and Forecasts."
Breakthrough Energy. (2024). "State of the Transition Report: Carbon Management."