Direct Air Capture
Direct Air Capture machines chemically extract CO₂ directly from the atmosphere and store it permanently in geological formations or mineral form. DAC offers the highest-quality carbon credits in the market: permanent, measurable to >99% accuracy, additional by construction, and unconstrained by land availability.
Submit DAC Project View methodology docs →How this pathway works
Direct Air Capture (DAC) uses engineered systems - solid sorbent contactors or liquid solvent processes - to chemically bind CO₂ from ambient air. Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are approximately 420 ppm, making DAC inherently energy-intensive compared to point-source capture. However, the resulting credits are among the most verifiable and permanent available.
The captured CO₂ is permanently stored via geological injection into deep saline aquifers or basalt formations (mineralisation), or used in long-lived products where carbon remains locked for decades. Teravent requires geological or mineralised storage only - utilisation in short-lived products (fuels, beverages) is not eligible.
The energy requirement for DAC is its primary sustainability consideration. Teravent requires all DAC projects to demonstrate zero or near-zero carbon energy supply, accounted for in the full lifecycle assessment. Projects powered by fossil energy without credible offset accounting are not eligible.
DAC is a high-cost, high-integrity frontier pathway. Teravent supports frontier DAC projects with a streamlined registration pathway for pilot-scale projects, recognising that early market development is essential to drive the cost reductions needed for DAC to scale.
Project types accepted
The following variants of the Direct Air Capture pathway are currently eligible for registration in the Teravent Registry.
Measurement, reporting
& verification
Teravent's Science Advisory Board assesses each pathway against four MRV dimensions. These scores reflect the current state of measurement science and are updated as methodology evolves.
DAC is the most measurable carbon removal pathway. Capture is quantified via direct gas flow measurement and CO₂ concentration sensors (±1%). Geological storage is monitored via wellhead pressure, groundwater chemistry, and seismic surveys. Teravent requires ISO 27914-compliant storage site characterisation for all geological injection projects.
Key registration criteria
Projects must meet all of the following minimum requirements to be considered for registration under the Direct Air Capture pathway. Additional requirements may apply depending on project size, geography, and specific methodology version.
Sustainable Development
Goal alignment
All Teravent-registered Direct Air Capture projects must complete an SDG impact assessment at registration and at each verification period. 3 SDGs are tracked for this pathway.
Focus region: Global - where co-benefits for communities and ecosystems are most significant and credit demand most transformational.
Ready to register your
removal project?
Join the community of project developers bringing high-integrity carbon removal to the Teravent Registry - from the Global South and beyond.