Direct air capture (DAC) is a climate technology that involves the chemical or electrochemical process of extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the ambient air using engineered systems. These systems typically use solid or liquid sorbents or electrochemical cells to capture CO2, which is then either stored underground (carbon sequestration) or reused in products like fuels or building materials. The primary purpose of DAC is to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels and help mitigate climate change. It is particularly valuable for achieving net-zero or negative emissions targets, especially in sectors where emissions are hard to eliminate entirely.
The DAC market consists of sales, by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships), of DAC systems that draw in air and pass it through materials or solvents that bind CO2, which is then released and captured when the material is regenerated.
The global direct air capture market was valued at $2.17 million in 2019 which grew till 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 123.00%.
Rising Carbon Credit Prices
During the historic period, the rising carbon credit prices supported the growth of the DAC market. Rising carbon credit prices enhance the economic case for DAC by increasing the value of each ton of CO2 removed, helping offset high operational costs. This improves project bankability and attracts more investor interest due to stronger revenue potential. As markets shift toward permanent and verifiable removals, DAC gains demand as a premium, high-integrity solution. The increased confidence in long-term returns encouraged more developers to initiate projects. This trend supports broader deployment and scaling of DAC technologies across global carbon markets. For instance, in May 2023, according to Reccessary, a Taiwan-based media and information platform, EU carbon permit prices are forecast to average €86.17 ($100.59) in 2023 to €96.19 ($112.38) in 2024 and€104.84 ($122.48) in 2025. These reflect increases of 5.9%, 2.2% and 2.5% from January estimates, respectively. Therefore, the rising carbon credit prices drove the growth of the direct air capture market.
Innovative Electrochemical DAC Technology Powers Carbon Negative Limestone Production
Companies operating in the DAC market are focusing on developing innovative solutions that integrate carbon removal directly into industrial processes. These efforts aim to reduce costs, enhance system modularity and accelerate real-world deployment across industrial sectors. For instance, in May 2025, Mission Zero Technologies, a UK-based environmental services company specializing in DAC technology launched the world's first fully integrated DAC to building materials demonstration plant in Norfolk, UK, capturing around 250 tons of CO2 annually for conversion into carbon negative limestone. Developed in partnership with O.C.O Technology, UK-based carbon capture and sustainable construction company and supported by the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, this facility seamlessly embeds DAC into existing limestone production, using electricity driven, heat free technology that is 3-5X more energy efficient than traditional systems. The initiative not only secures a stable on site CO2 supply for building materials but also demonstrates early commercial viability and modular deployment using off the shelf components.
The global direct air capture market is highly concentrated, with large players operating in the market. The top 6 competitors in the market made up 62.39% of the total market in 2024.
Direct Air Capture Global Market Opportunities And Strategies To 2034 from The Business Research Company provides the strategists; marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global direct air capture market as it emerges from the COVID-19 shut down.
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Where is the largest and fastest-growing market for direct air capture ? How does the market relate to the overall economy; demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The direct air capture market global report from The Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics; size and growth; segmentation; regional and country breakdowns; competitive landscape; market shares; trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's history and forecasts market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider direct air capture market; and compares it with other markets.
The report covers the following chapters
- Introduction and Market Characteristics- Brief introduction to the segmentations covered in the market, definitions and explanations about the segment by product, by scale, by source, by application and by end- use.
- Key Trends- Highlights the major trends shaping the global market. This section also highlights likely future developments in the market.
- Growth Analysis And Strategic Analysis Framework- Analysis on PESTEL, end use industries, market growth rate, global historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029, 2034F) market values and drivers and restraints that support and control the growth of the market in the historic and forecast periods, forecast growth contributors and total addressable market (TAM).
- Global Market Size And Growth- Global historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029, 2034F) market values and drivers and restraints that support and control the growth of the market in the historic and forecast periods.
- Regional And Country Analysis- Historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029, 2034F) market values and growth and market share comparison by region and country.
- Market Segmentation- Contains the market values (2019-2024) (2024-2029, 2034F) and analysis for each segment by product, by scale, by source, by application and by end- use in the market. Historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029) and (2029-2034) market values and growth and market share comparison by region market.
- Regional Market Size And Growth- Regional market size (2024), historic (2019-2024) and forecast (2024-2029, 2034F) market values and growth and market share comparison of countries within the region. This report includes information on all the regions Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa and major countries within each region.
- Competitive Landscape- Details on the competitive landscape of the market, estimated market shares and company profiles of the leading players.
- Other Major And Innovative Companies- Details on the company profiles of other major and innovative companies in the market.
- Competitive Benchmarking- Briefs on the financials comparison between major players in the market.
- Competitive Dashboard- Briefs on competitive dashboard of major players.
- Key Mergers And Acquisitions- Information on recent mergers and acquisitions in the market covered in the report. This section gives key financial details of mergers and acquisitions, which have shaped the market in recent years.
- Recent Developments- Information on recent developments in the market covered in the report.
- Market Opportunities And Strategies- Describes market opportunities and strategies based on findings of the research, with information on growth opportunities across countries, segments and strategies to be followed in those markets.
- Conclusions And Recommendations- This section includes recommendations for direct air capture providers in terms of product/service offerings geographic expansion, marketing strategies and target groups
- Appendix- This section includes details on the NAICS codes covered, abbreviations and currencies codes used in this report.
Markets Covered:
- 1) By Product: Absorption-Based; Adsorption-Based; Membrane-Based; Cryogenic-Based
- 2) By Scale: Pilot-Scale; Demonstration-Scale; Commercial-Scale
- 3) By Source: Electricity; Heat
- 4) By Application: Carbon Capture And Storage (CCS); Carbon Capture, Utilization And Storage (CCUS)
- 5) By End-Use: Oil And Gas; Food And Beverage; Automotive; Chemicals; Healthcare; Other End-Uses
- Companies Mentioned: Climeworks AG; Heirloom Carbon Technologies; CarbonCapture Inc.; Zero Carbon Systems (Global thermostat); 1PointFive
- Countries: China; Australia; India; Indonesia; Japan; South Korea; USA; Canada; Brazil; France; Germany; UK; Italy; Spain; Russia
- Regions: Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Africa
- Time-series: Five years historic and ten years forecast.
- Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets; GDP proportions; expenditure per capita; direct air capture indicators comparison.
- Data segmentations: country and regional historic and forecast data; market share of competitors; market segments.
- Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.