The data center sector is experiencing a period of exponential growth. To mitigate the subsequent increase in CO2 emissions, carbon removals have become a growing part of data center developers’ ESG toolkit.

Microsoft is by far the biggest corporate purchaser of carbon removals, with more than eight million tons of carbon purchased as of 2025. Google, Amazon, tech-led consortia such as Frontier, and Stripe are also major purchasers.

Carbon removal options vary from the holistic, such as afforestation, to the bizarre, like mechanical trees. One of the more popular technologies within the tech sector is direct air capture (DAC), which purports to remove carbon directly from the atmosphere. Several DAC companies are currently on the market, offering different chemical compositions and business models.

One such company is Mission Zero Technologies, a UK-based DAC developer backed by Bill Gates. DCD spoke with Mission Zero’s CEO, Dr. Nicholas Chadwick, about DAC, Mission Zero’s differentiated carbon removal model, and the applicability of DAC to decarbonize the data center sector.

What the DAC?

DAC is a carbon removal technology that removes CO2 directly from the atmosphere. It does this through the use of large fans that pull air through chemical filters or sorbents, which chemically bind with CO2 molecules. The filter is then heated or placed under a vacuum to release the CO2, and the concentrated CO2 is subsequently stored or used.

The major advantage of DAC is in its permanency of removal, says Chadwick, who argues that “unlike nature-based offsets, which can be reversed through deforestation or land-use changes, DAC allows you to say with confidence: ‘This is exactly how much CO2 we’ve removed, and here’s where it’s stored.’ That level of accountability is a game changer.”

In addition to increased accountability, DAC can be deployed anywhere, as it draws CO2 directly from the air, providing much greater flexibility in deployment than other carbon capture and storage, which must be installed at point sources. This has led proponents to contend that DAC is the best overall solution for carbon removal.

Cost considerations and challenges

The commercialization of DAC, however, faces several significant challenges.

One primary obstacle is navigating different compliance requirements across jurisdictions. Certification standards vary significantly between regions like Canada, the UK, and Europe, necessitating differing approaches in each jurisdiction. However, while requiring adjustments, Chadwick argues that these differences are not insurmountable and are merely part of the scaling process.

Beyond regulatory and deployment concerns, achieving cost reductions is a significant challenge. DAC remains highly expensive, costing an average of $680 per ton to produce in 2024, according to Supercritical, a carbon removal marketplace. In comparison, Biochar has an average price of $165 per ton, and enhanced rock weathering has an average price of $310 per ton.

In addition, the complexity of DAC means up-front costs are much higher than those of alternative forms of carbon removal. An average DAC unit comprises air-intake manifolds, absorption and desorption towers, liquid-handling tanks, and bespoke site-specific engineering.

DAC also requires significant amounts of power to operate. Recent studies have shown that the energy consumption of fans in DAC plants can range from 300 to 900 kWh per ton of CO2 captures, which represents between 20 – 40 percent of total DAC system energy usage.

This has led critics to contend that DAC is just an expensive distraction from other cheaper climate solutions. However, Chadwick argues that if scaled correctly, the technology could mirror the learning curve seen in traditional renewables. “Every system we install teaches us something new, and that learning feeds into the next iteration,” he says.

Mission Zero’s approach

To achieve cost reductions and streamline deployment, Mission Zero is approaching DAC differently from many other providers.

Chadwick says that, unlike most DAC systems that run on a batch process, Mission Zero’s electrochemical solution operates continuously through a solvent loop, enabling simultaneous CO2 capture and regeneration, something which he believes offers greater efficiency. In focusing on the regeneration process, Mission Zero believes it can significantly reduce costs, as this is where most energy and cost burdens lie.

The company claims this innovation also reduces operational costs, and makes the technology more scalable and accessible across industries – not just for those with large upfront capital.

To achieve further cost reductions, the firm has strategically designed its system to use off-the-shelf industrial components, such as cooling towers and electrochemical cells, ensuring that scaling does not depend on new manufacturing capacity. These measures, Chadwick claims, will support Mission Zero’s goal to be one of the most cost-effective DAC solutions available on the market by 2030.

In order to support deployment, the role of robust partners is of paramount importance. Chadwick contends that partnering with organizations such as Deep Sky – where Mission Zero has deployed a first-of-a-kind electrochemical demonstration plant – in Canada, who understand the regulatory landscape and have firm financial backing, will allow for smooth integration of the technology.

DAC will need strong and reliable customers going forward if it is to move its technology from demonstrator to mainstream solution. It is here where the data center sector could play a significant role.

DAC and data centers

For Chadwick, the convergence of data centers and DAC could be mutually beneficial.

Data centers are among the largest consumers of electricity, requiring large cooling and HVAC systems to maintain operations. These facilities process enormous volumes of air, often resulting in CO2-enriched indoor environments, aligning naturally with DAC’s air-processing capabilities.

Additionally, data centers typically have high-volume green electricity connections through PPAs and on-site generation, which could play a crucial role in offsetting DAC’s high energy costs. Finally, waste heat generated by data centers could be repurposed to improve DAC efficiency.

Chadwick claims these factors make the colocation of DAC on data center sites a compelling opportunity, especially for developers with lofty sustainability goals. Therefore, in cases where data center expansion outpaces the availability of clean energy, DAC offers an immediate and quantifiable method of carbon removal.

First mover advantage

Data centers that invest the earliest in the technology could benefit the most, says Chadwick. “If you wait until removals are cheap and abundant, you might find yourself at the back of the queue,” he warns. As a result, early adopters will secure priority access to affordable carbon removal as costs decline.

Data center firms have heeded that warning. Microsoft, for instance, has already made substantial investments in DAC credits, including a ten-year offtake agreement with DeepSky for 10,000 tons of CO2 removal credits. In addition, Meta has committed to developing its own DAC technology to scale across its data center fleet.

Chadwick contends that this has set a precedent for other firms to follow, with the early adopters not merely purchasing offsets but funding the development and scaling of the technology.

The attraction for data center firms is only expected to increase as data centers continue to seek ways to mitigate their carbon footprint. In comparison to other carbon removals, data centers can potentially integrate the technology directly into data center infrastructure, which Chadwick believes “can achieve verifiable and durable carbon removals.”

It is here where Mission Zero’s differentiated deployment model comes into play.

Differentiated business model

Mission Zero is approaching the carbon removal market with a unique business model, avoiding the traditional carbon credit system where firms build, own, and sell credits.

Instead, it sells DAC technology directly, allowing for faster deployment, risk-sharing with operators, and accelerated learning cycles. Chadwick argues that by focusing on technology rather than vertical integration, the company can scale more efficiently and adapt to various industrial applications.

With deployments spanning multiple sectors, including sustainable aviation and low-carbon concrete production, Mission Zero hopes to prove that DAC can integrate seamlessly into different industrial settings.

The company’s ultimate goal is to create a cost-effective, widely deployable solution. “It can’t remain a premium product forever—the faster we lower costs, the sooner carbon removal becomes a mainstream climate solution,” says Chadwick.

As a result, the intersection of DAC and data centers represents one of the most exciting frontiers in carbon removal technology.

As AI-driven energy demand skyrockets, the need for verifiable, permanent carbon removal solutions will only grow. Mission Zero’s differentiated approach to DAC, coupled with the forward-thinking sustainability strategies of major tech companies, suggests that this technology could begin to play a significant role in data centers’ decarbonization strategies moving forward.