Occidental Petroleum says it will begin operating the world’s largest carbon-removal facility at the end of 2026, ending months of uncertainty about when the West Texas project would begin extracting planet-warming pollution from the atmosphere.
The direct air capture megaproject, known as Stratos, has been under construction since May 2023 and had been slated to begin operations at the end of 2024. It will use power, heat, fans and carbon-dioxide-absorbing materials to suck up to 500,000 metric tons of climate pollution a year from the sky. By comparison, the largest DAC plant in operation today is capable of removing 36,000 tons per year.
Occidental CEO Richard Jackson told investors Thursday the company is looking to begin offering carbon capture services to data centers and power plant operators.
“We’re excited and have positioned ourselves, I think, to do that,” Jackson said on an earnings call. But, he added, the company can’t continue to invest in low-carbon projects without the support of regulators or other companies.
