A direct air capture technology for carbon dioxide developed through collaboration among domestic industry, academia, and research institutes is expected to be applied to smart farms.
The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) said it jointly developed direct air capture (DAC) technology with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Ecopro HN. Ecopro HN plans to commercialize a small DAC facility in 2026.
The higher the carbon dioxide concentration, the more active photosynthesis becomes in crops, with optimal growth particularly in the 800–1000 ppm range. But the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration remains around 400 ppm, making it important to capture carbon dioxide to achieve optimal levels. In particular, "direct air capture technology," which captures low concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air, has high utility because it can be used anywhere.
The research team combined KAIST and KRICT technologies to design and build a small, dry-adsorption-based DAC facility. Based on expertise in carbon dioxide removal adsorbents studied since 2016, KAIST Professor Choi Min-gi's team developed a dry carbon dioxide adsorbent. Compared with existing technologies, securing adsorption performance, cost-effectiveness, and long-term stability at the same time is a key feature.
The team led by KRICT principal researcher Park Yong-gi designed and built a device that can repeatedly capture carbon dioxide at high concentrations by adjusting the temperature and pressure conditions required during adsorption and desorption.
The developed device is being productized by Ecopro HN as a small facility. It can be installed in various locations rather than being limited to specific sites and facilities, and it is expected to efficiently control carbon dioxide levels in agricultural settings such as smart farms.
The first-generation DAC device installed at the Sangju Smart Farm Innovation Valley in North Gyeongsang Province has completed real-world performance verification in a tomato cultivation environment. The experiment succeeded in raising the carbon dioxide concentration to 600–700 ppm, and aims for 800–1000 ppm through performance improvements. The plan is to apply the small DAC facility to other crops, including microalgae, afterward.
KRICT President Lee Young-guk said, "This technology is meaningful in that it has advanced into a technology that can be applied in real agricultural settings through cooperation among public research institutes, universities, and corporations," adding, "It will contribute to improving the productivity of smart farms and to solving the national task of carbon reduction."