British low cost easyJet became the first airline in the world to sign a contract with Airbus for his underground carbon capture and storage solution.
This solution uses Direct Air Capture with Carbon Storage (DACCS) to provide carbon removal credits to airlines around the world to help them to achieve their decarbonization objectives.
Concretely, DACCS technology directly filters and eliminates CO2 emissions from the air using very powerful extraction fans. Once extracted from the air, CO2 is stored safely and permanently in underground tanks. CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere during flight operations cannot be directly removed at the source, but with DACCS technology an equivalent amount can be removed from the air. This technology is complementary to other carbon reduction technologies, such as the use of sustainable aviation fuel.
Airbus announced last year a partnership with the firm 1PointFive, which must commission a capture and storage site in the Permian Basin of Texas at a depth of nearly 2,000 meters at the end of 2024-beginning of 2025. The European aircraft manufacturer has committed to acquiring 400,000 tonnes of CO2 credits, also called carbon credits, over four years. The contract with easyJet, the terms of which have not been specified, provides that the British low cost company will use part of these credits between 2026 and 2029.
In addition to easyJet which has just confirmed its contract with Airbus, six other airline groups (Air Canada, Air France-KLM, IAG, LATAM, Lufthansa Group and Virgin) have also signed a letter of intent to this effect with the European aircraft manufacturer.
