The Lightswing process marks a departure from traditional thermal regeneration methods, which waste significant energy heating entire systems and support structures. By focusing microwave energy exclusively on the bond between carbon dioxide and the sorbent material, Aircapture achieves desorption with a fraction of the equipment and energy expenditure typically required. This reduction in both capital and operating costs is designed to allow the company to scale its modular systems more efficiently.
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Aircapture Wins Tencent CarbonX Award for Microwave DAC Innovation
Berkeley-based Aircapture has been named one of 16 winners of the Tencent CarbonX 2.0 program, securing funding to scale its proprietary Lightswing technology. The system utilizes targeted microwave energy to extract CO2 from the atmosphere, addressing the high energy costs that have historically hampered the commercial viability of direct air capture.
CEO Matt Atwood noted that the technology fundamentally changes the economic profile of carbon removal by precision-targeting the energy input. Aircapture will use the award to develop a 100-tonne-per-year pilot facility in Kenya’s Rift Valley. Located in a basalt basin capable of mineralizing carbon, this site will serve as a shared hub where Aircapture and three other winning firms will test their removal approaches in real-world conditions. The data gathered will be critical for validating the technology for broader commercial deployment. The company already maintains a footprint in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, supplying industrial customers like Aizawa and Almanac Beer Co. with captured CO2.
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