NGK INSULATORS LTD. will provide its Direct Air Capture (DAC) ceramic substrate for a DAC system at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Kansai, Japan. This project is part of the Moonshot Research and Development Program by NEDO and organized by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE). DAC technology captures CO2 from the atmosphere directly. It is expected to remove about 1 billion tons of CO2 per year by 2050.
NGK’s DAC ceramic substrate, which has a honeycomb structure, will be used in CO2 removal units at the Expo. This substrate is designed to efficiently process large volumes of air with low pressure loss and supports CO2 adsorbents on its surface.
RITE will install and demonstrate these DAC systems at the Expo to showcase negative emission technology.
Globally, efforts are increasing to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, especially in industries where reducing emissions is difficult. Projects in the US plan to build DAC facilities to capture a combined 1 million tons of CO2 per year by the late 2020s.
In 2023, NGK established a DAC development area at its headquarters and aims to have a volume production system by 2030. NGK is also working on technologies that enhance the adsorption performance of DAC ceramics. Their existing production facilities for automotive ceramic substrates will be used for DAC ceramic substrates.
The NGK Group is committed to carbon neutrality and is developing technologies for CO2 capture, use, and storage (CCUS). They aim to contribute to the widespread adoption of DAC technology to help achieve a carbon-neutral society.