As the race to net-zero accelerates, carbon capture remains too costly to scale. WACCE Technology is challenging that reality with a modular system capable of capturing CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, and even argon at costs below $40 per ton. By pairing climate-smart design with profitable industrial gas recovery, WACCE positions direct air carbon capture not just as a climate solution, but as a commercially viable business model.

Climate goals are colliding with economic reality. The global race to net-zero requires removing billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere, yet today’s solutions remain too costly and energy-intensive to scale. Whether it is direct air capture (DAC) at $250–$350 per ton or industrial carbon capture and storage (CCS) averaging $140 per ton, the economics are daunting. Policymakers and markets are aligned on the urgency, the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Carbon Negative Shot” sets a goal of <$100 per ton, but the gap remains.

WACCE Technology is rewriting that equation. By rethinking the fundamentals of air capture physics, we are targeting commercial costs under $40 per ton under natural wind conditions, a threshold that unlocks entirely new pathways for deployment, investment and climate impact.

The current DAC and CCS landscape provides a mix of promises and frustration. Industrial CCS can capture CO2 for around $140 per ton, but only in specific point-source contexts in limited amounts. Next-generation DAC systems like Climeworks aim for $250–$350 per ton, with scalability but limited commercial viability at today’s carbon credit prices. Programs like the U.S. 45Q tax credit (up to $85/ton for CCS and $180/ton for DAC) incentivize deployment but still do not close the gap to large-scale adoption. Despite billions invested, no solution has achieved cost-parity capture that can be rapidly scaled across regions and industries.

WACCE’s modular reactor takes a different approach. Instead of relying on high-powered fans or excessive energy and chemical inputs, the system leverages natural airflow to maximize contact between gases and liquid surfaces within a compact design. This enables multi-gas capture, removing CO2, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and capturing argon at concentrations up to 94% without using chemicals and with minimum water requirements. The design is scalable, deployable in arrays, and engineered for low capital and operating costs. Fully functional small-scale device test data indicates capture at less than $40 per ton under natural wind speeds of 7.5 miles per hour (3 meters per second), dramatically below industry targets. (Wind rose charts show there are ample and wide-spread locations with such wind speeds exceeding a 90% probability over 365 days a year—providing peak operational parameters over 20 hours a day on average.)

Breaking the $100 barrier is the holy grail of carbon capture. Hitting <$40/ton changes everything. At this level, voluntary carbon markets (often pricing credits at $40–60/ton) become immediately profitable. With U.S. 45Q credits, the economics turn net-positive from day one. Most importantly, capture moves from pilot-scale to gigaton potential, enabling not just emissions offsetting but actual atmospheric drawdown.

What makes WACCE uniquely investable is its dual revenue model. At <$40/ton capture cost, CO2 removal is viable in carbon markets. But equally important, WACCE captures argon (with fresh air concentrations of approximately 0.93% of the air) at roughly 9 tons per 1,000 tons of CO2 captured. With Argon selling at premium prices across electronics, medical and industrial markets, this creates a powerful commercial driver that can outpace CO2 credits. For investors, this shifts the business case from subsidy-dependent to a profit-driven market disruptor.

While CO2 dominates the climate conversation, CH4 and N2O have outsized warming impacts, 28 and 273 times stronger than CO2 on a 100-year basis, respectively with N2O also being an ozone layer depletion gas. Conventional DAC systems ignore them, but WACCE’s design captures them alongside CO2. Modeling shows the overall multi-gas effect of methane and CO2 equate to an additional reduction in global warming potential of roughly 25% compared to CO2 alone. This represents a step-change opportunity: every ton captured removes not just CO2, but small amount of these other GHGs as well.

Importantly, WACCE also captures argon. While not a greenhouse gas, Argon holds substantial economic value. Unlike other systems that treat inert gases as waste, WACCE harnesses argon as a cornerstone product making the technology both a climate solution and a commodity producer.

WACCE’s economics align perfectly with policy incentives and market demand. At <$40/ton, CO2 capture not only qualifies for 45Q tax credits but yields positive margins even without subsidies. With voluntary carbon markets trading credits in the $40–$60/ton range, WACCE is positioned to meet immediate demand. The Argon opportunity is particularly compelling: a $7 billion global market projected to grow with semiconductor, welding and medical demand. Capturing and refining argon as part of a climate solution .is a unique differentiator—no other DAC or CCS platform today has argon economics built in.

WACCE’s roadmap is practical and scalable. A pilot-scale production unit will validate multi-gas capture, refine argon separation, and confirm <$40/ton costs under natural wind conditions. Modular arrays can then be scaled to capture hundreds of thousands of tons annually with minimal capital expansion. In addition to CO2 air enrichment use in agriculture, units are designed for industrial hubs, renewable sites or deployment in high-wind regions where operating costs are lowest. By combining argon sales and CO2 credits, even early deployments achieve cash-positive economics, reducing reliance on grants or subsidies.

The world doesn’t just need more carbon capture; it needs carbon capture that makes economic sense. By delivering sub-$40/ton CO2 removal, capturing CH4 and N2O for added climate benefit, and generating industrial-grade argon as a revenue stream, WACCE Technology represents a new category of climate-smart infrastructure.

Our vision is simple but bold: make carbon capture as affordable and scalable as solar or wind, enable investors to fund a solution that is both climate-smart and commercially viable, and deploy globally with modular units capable of addressing emissions at scale while creating a new industrial gas market.

The future of carbon capture cannot be subsidy-dependent; it is profitable, scalable and transformative technology. With WACCE, the climate solution also becomes the business case of the decade.

Author: Geoffrey P. Brown, Ph.D.
Contact: Ken Baratzadeh, WACCE Technology. ken@waccetechnology.com

Printed in Issue 2, 2025 of Carbon Capture Magazine

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Breaking the $40 Barrier

Geoffrey P. Brown, Ph.D.