News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Heimdal (YC S21) builds the world’s cheapest direct air c... by hn_neverguess on Thursday May 12, 2022 @05:35PM (#31360401)
> Based on 365 operating days per year and 90% CO2 draw-down efficiency, we expect to capture 37 tCO2 in the first year.

I wonder what the business model here looks like. I suppose you could try to get government to provide tax incentives for donations?

Re:Heimdal (YC S21) builds the world’s cheapest direct air c... by version_five on Thursday May 12, 2022 @05:52PM (#31360586)
Personally, I favor a model of direct government spending for CO2 capture (along with emissions regulations where appropriate). Carbon pricing ends up being either a tax or an opportunity for gaming or partisanship, and just adds needless complexity everywhere.

If we can move climate change from a political tool to a concrete technological problem, government can address it directly, the same as other infrastructure, and pay operators like this on a tonnage basis to extract carbon.

Re:Heimdal (YC S21) builds the world’s cheapest direct air c... by erikmillar on Thursday May 12, 2022 @05:58PM (#31360626)
I agree that in principle it sounds good. The one issue I pick up on here is the old 'tragedy of the commons' - some countries are just not going to want to pay for it, meaning that other countries will be hugely economically impacted by this. As far as I can see, the only way to make this enforceable for the entire planet is for the largest consumer economies (US&EU) to include a carbon boarder tax where emissions can't be outsourced to other countries.
Re:Heimdal (YC S21) builds the world’s cheapest direct air c... by uranium on Thursday May 12, 2022 @05:42PM (#31360472)
Multiple countries have tax incentives for carbon reductions already, such as the 45Q credit in the USA. Companies can outsource their reductions to CCS companies such as Heimdal. See e.g. https://www.cnet.com/news/google-facebook-stripe-have-a-925m...

[Disclosure: I've invested in Heimdal.]

Re:Heimdal (YC S21) builds the world’s cheapest direct air c... by erikmillar on Thursday May 12, 2022 @06:01PM (#31360651)
Exactly, and I'm sure these incentives will start to increase in scale as the world sees the impact climate change will have on the wider economy.
Re:Heimdal (YC S21) builds the world’s cheapest direct air c... by erikmillar on Thursday May 12, 2022 @05:40PM (#31360450)
The business model is a combination of governments and corporations. As of now, it is overwhelmingly corporations, but this is due to shift very soon.