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Air Canada signs up for Airbus’ carbon removal initiative
November 30, 2023 By Wings Staff
Air Canada has signed a contract with Airbus for the airplane manufacturer’s carbon-removal initiative.
In a Nov. 30 news release, Airbus officials said that Air Canada is the first North American airline to sign up for The Airbus Carbon Capture Offer, which uses Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) technology to offer airlines worldwide carbon removal credits to advance their decarbonisation goals.
Airbus’ partner 1PointFive will issue the carbon removal credits. Airbus’ agreement with 1PointFive includes the pre-purchase of 400,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits to be delivered over four years. Air Canada’s credits will last from 2026 to 2029.
DACCS technology filters and removes CO2 emissions directly from the air using high-powered extraction fans. Once removed from the air, the CO2 is stored in underground reservoirs. CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere during aircraft operations cannot be directly eliminated at source, Airbus said, but with DACCS, an equivalent amount can be extracted from the air.
“The development and application of new technologies is a key pillar in Air Canada’s strategy to work toward net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said Valerie Durand, head of investor relations and corporate sustainability at Air Canada. “Carbon capture is exciting because this technology is available now to help reduce our impact as we continue to support other, longer term opportunities such as sustainable fuels and electric aircraft.”
In 2022, Air Canada was amongst the first airlines to sign an agreement with Airbus committing to negotiations on the possible pre-purchase of verified and durable carbon removal credits. Additionally, Airbus and Air Canada have also both announced investments in Squamish, B.C.-based climate solutions company Carbon Engineering (CE) to support the advancement of CE’s Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, which is said to pull CO2 directly out of the air at large, industrial scale.
The technology is complementary to other carbon reduction technologies, Airbus said, such as the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and fleet renewal with new-generation aircraft. As at the end of October 2023, Air Canada operates a fleet of more than 131 Airbus aircraft, including the A220 family.
