Research Project on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Distributed Direct Air Capture (DDAC)

There has been growing interest in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies that extract CO₂ directly from the atmosphere. Such carbon removal technologies will play a vital role in the transition to a net zero energy scenario. A novel distributed, small-scale DAC system that can integrated with buildings was developed at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Leveraging on on-going technology development effort, this project supported by Mitsubishi Corporation aims to conduct a holistic, life cycle GHG assessment of a distributed DAC system. It will account for all life cycle stages, including material extraction, fabrication, use and film regeneration, handling of captured CO₂, and eventual end-of-life treatment. The LCA of the SDS for direct air capture is important as it will provide a holistic assessment on the net carbon emissions associated with the novel technology. The assessment will provide critical inputs to the future/additional development of the SDS in achieving a net-zero goal and contributing to global efforts in “conserving the environment”. The study was informed by data collected from the deployment of this system in a commercial building in Singapore.