A network of giant air cleansing systems which remove carbon from the atmosphere is “essential” to ensure Britain meets its net zero targets, according to a government-funded report.
The paper, which was picked up by the Daily Telegraph, says the direct air carbon capture systems would eliminate up to 48m tonnes of CO2 from the air each year.
The CO2 would be pumped into disused oil and gas reservoirs under the North Sea or the Irish Sea.
According to the report, by Energy Systems Catapult, this type of direct air carbon capture will be paramount to sustaining the aviation industry, as aircraft will not be able to run completely on sustainable fuels.
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“Beyond 2040 we see few options to abate remaining emissions, so use of direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) will be required,” it says.
“Direct air capture would collect 38-48m tonnes of CO2 a year by 2050. This technology appears to be essential to meeting net zero in all our scenarios and yet remains unproven at scale.”
The report says that plants could be built across the east coast of the UK, with the captured CO2 would be stored in sites under the North Sea.
Last week, the outgoing chief executive of the UK’s Climate Change Committee said achieving net zero will not require a “huge shift” in everyday lives but the politicisation of net zero will be detrimental to the economy.
