Office: Carbon Management
Learn More: DAC Pre-Commercial Technology Prize
Prize Amount: $3.2 million

Background Information

On December 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced seven semifinalists for the development phase of the Direct Air Capture Pre-Commercial Prize to receive a total of $1.05 million in cash awards and technical assistance for technology solutions that reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution by removing it directly from the atmosphere. Advancing developments in carbon dioxide removal, including direct air capture technology, is imperative to attaining the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic climate and clean energy agenda. 

The Direct Air Capture Technology Prize helps advance direct air capture technologies by sponsoring teams that identify a critical need in the industry, develop a solution to address this gap, and test the idea to a degree of scale. It focuses on the steps of concept development and entrepreneurship needed to prepare technologies and businesses for commercialization. It is part of a suite of separate but connected prizes to support direct air capture technology advancement with a focus on community and labor engagement, creating high-quality jobs, and providing economic and environmental benefits to affected communities. Learn more about the Direct Air Capture Prizes suite.

This funding is provided from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Sections 41005a.

Semifinalist Teams 

• Arizona Board of Regents (team: Team CNCE) 
• Capture6 Corp (team: Capture6) 
• Carbon To Stone Inc. (team: Carbon To Stone) 
• Elysia Labs LLC (team: Elysia Labs)
• Giner, Inc (team: Giner DAC) 
• Holocene Climate Corporation (team: Holocene) 
• Nūxsen LLC (team: Team Nūxsen) 

Each semifinalist team will receive $100,000 in cash prizes and $50,000 in technical assistance. The semifinalists are also eligible to advance to the “Design” Phase of the prize competition to demonstrate momentum toward implementation of their solutions. “Design” Phase winners will advance to the final “Deliver” Phase, where they are asked to construct and test solutions, as well as develop strategy for scalability and partnerships, to compete for a grand prize of $1 million.

Key Dates

Additional Information

• Learn more about the DAC Pre-Commercial Technology Prize

Last Updated: December 19, 2023