Prometheus has achieved the world’s lowest-cost Direct Air Capture (DAC) at under $50/ton—over 80% below industry averages.
This cost breakthrough enables fossil-price, subsidy-free carbon neutral e-fuels that can deliver 24/7 power across sectors like AI, aviation, and heavy industry.
The company’s modular DAC and fuel production systems, validated by Ramboll, can operate off-grid and scale globally wherever renewable electricity is cheapest.
Prometheus Fuels has announced a major cost breakthrough in carbon capture, reducing the price of Direct Air Capture (DAC) to under $50 per ton—more than 80% below the industry average of $200–$600. This development positions the company as the lowest-cost DAC provider globally and unlocks a pathway for economically viable carbon neutral e-fuels at fossil fuel prices.
The breakthrough is embodied in Prometheus’ new 200-ton-per-year DAC system, currently under construction at its California headquarters. Building on its operational 16-ton-per-year system, the new unit captures CO₂ directly from ambient air into water and processes it using Prometheus’ patented Faraday Reactor. This method bypasses conventional gas purification and compression, significantly reducing both energy consumption and capital costs.
“Low-cost DAC unlocks the best solar locations, far away from point sources of CO₂,” said Rob McGinnis, founder and CEO of Prometheus. “By developing a new low-cost DAC technology, along with our hydrocarbon electrolysis Faraday Reactor, we’ve brought carbon capture below $50 a ton and made truly affordable e-fuels possible for the first time.”
The announcement comes at a critical time as global energy players search for scalable, carbon neutral power solutions. Prometheus’ technology eliminates reliance on subsidies, bio-derived CO₂, or point-source emissions, allowing e-fuel production to be located wherever renewable electricity is most affordable.
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“This isn’t just a scientific breakthrough, it’s a whole new business model,” McGinnis added. “When you combine ultra-low-cost DAC with modular, off-grid electrochemical fuel production, you open up access to remote, off-grid solar—the cheapest source of energy on the planet—making it available anywhere in the world as a new low-cost source of 24/7, firm, dispatchable, carbon neutral power.”
Prometheus’ DAC and fuel production process has been independently validated by engineering firm Ramboll through a detailed techno-economic analysis. The company’s Titan Forge Alpha pilot plant has been producing e-fuels at commercial scale for over four years, and the new 200-ton modular system will expand this platform to meet rising demand from sectors such as AI infrastructure, industrial manufacturing, green steel, aviation, maritime, and urban power grids.
By decoupling fuel production from traditional carbon sources and locating systems off-grid, Prometheus offers geographic and economic flexibility—making carbon neutral fuels more accessible and scalable than ever.
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