Direct Air Capture (DAC) and the Carbon Removal Industry

Episode 29 is with Anna Stukas, Vice President of Business Development at Carbon Engineering Ltd.

Today Na’im speaks with Anna Stukas about how Carbon Engineering is helping the aviation industry to decarbonize, and what roles direct air capture (DAC) technologies play in the sector’s overall strategy to reach net-zero.

Anna Stukas is a Vice President of Business Development at Carbon Engineering Ltd.  Anna is a professional engineer with nearly two decades experience bridging the gap between technology and business to overcome barriers to cleantech commercialization. She currently leads a variety of CE’s partnering and business development efforts, with a focus on the aviation ecosys tem.  Anna previously worked with Angstrom Power and BIC developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, where her responsibilities spanned IP and licensing strategy, product safety, and international regulatory development, including at the United Nations and International Civil Aviation Organization.

Anna currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and of Science World. Anna’s work has been recognized by the Minerva Foundation’s Women In™ Energy Award for Philanthropy and Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 Award. Carbon Engineering (CE) is a climate solutions company. CE is focused on the global deployment of large-scale Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology that captures carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, enabling two complementary solutions to reach true net zero: permanent carbon dioxide removal and sustainable aviation fuel. With its partners, CE is working to deploy large-scale, commercial DAC facilities. 

In this episode, Na’im and Anna discuss:

* The aviation industry’s emissions problem and its progress in decarbonization;

* Challenges with sustainable aviation fuel;

* Carbon removal’s role in counter-balancing residual emissions;

* The role of direct air capture in decarbonizing aviation;

* Carbon Engineering’s recent agreement with airlines;

* The role of other carbon removal solutions play in addressing aviation emissions;

* The future of DAC in decarbonizing aviation;

* The need for government procurement of carbon removal;

* The critical pieces in ensuring sufficiency DAC capacity scale-up; and

* Impacts of the Oxy acquisition.

Relevant Links:

* Na’im’s report with Clean Air Task Force - “Decarbonizing Aviation: Challenges and Opportunities for Emerging Fuels”

* Mission Possible Partnership - “Making Net-Zero Aviation Possible”

* IATA’s Net Zero Roadmaps

* ANA Group Environmental Targets

* Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) 

* Robert Höglund on the like-for-like removal principle for offsetting

* U.S. DOE’s $35 Million “Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Pilot Prize”

* Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

* Oxy’s announcement to acquire Carbon Engineering (Press Release)

Special Note: Carbon Removal Canada’s official (in person) launch event is in Ottawa on November 8th from 4-6pm. Register here while there’s still space!

This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.

Na’im Merchant is the co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, a policy initiative focused on scaling carbon removal in Canada. He is also a policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. Every two weeks, Na’im will release a short interview with individuals advancing the policies, technologies, and collective action needed to scale up carbon removal around the world.

Tank Chen is a carbon removal advocate based in Taiwan whose focus is on communicating the importance of CDR to policy makers, corporate leaders, and the broader public through education, communications, and policy advocacy.

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