Course Introduction
Direct air capture (DAC) is an emerging carbon removal technology that extracts carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere using engineered chemical or physical processes. As governments, industries, and organizations pursue net-zero emissions targets, DAC facilities are attracting attention as potential components of long-term climate mitigation strategies. However, developing these facilities requires complex coordination across process engineering, energy infrastructure, chemical handling, environmental management, carbon transport, storage, and project finance. This course provides participants with practical project planning and management knowledge for developing direct air capture facilities, from initial concept development and feasibility assessment to engineering design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operational handover. It emphasizes the integration of technical feasibility, financial discipline, environmental responsibility, and measurable carbon removal outcomes.
Planning a direct air capture facility begins with assessing the technology options, site conditions, available energy sources, water requirements, and intended carbon dioxide destination. Different DAC approaches, including liquid solvent systems and solid sorbent systems, have different temperature requirements, regeneration processes, equipment configurations, and operating characteristics. Project planners must evaluate these differences alongside land availability, access to renewable or low-carbon energy, transportation infrastructure, geological storage opportunities, and applicable regulatory requirements. This course explores feasibility studies, site selection, preliminary engineering, resource assessments, and business case development. Participants will learn to translate carbon removal objectives into measurable project requirements, define deployment boundaries, evaluate technical alternatives, and establish realistic project assumptions before major capital commitments are made.
Direct air capture projects involve substantial engineering, procurement, and construction activities, often requiring specialized equipment such as air contactors, fans, heat exchangers, sorbent regeneration systems, pumps, compressors, separation equipment, and carbon dioxide conditioning units. These systems must be integrated with utilities, control systems, emissions monitoring equipment, and infrastructure for carbon dioxide transportation or storage. Project managers must coordinate engineering consultants, equipment suppliers, construction contractors, energy providers, environmental specialists, and carbon storage partners. This course examines work breakdown structures, procurement strategies, construction sequencing, resource planning, cost estimation, schedule development, and interface management. Participants will explore how to manage technology maturity risks, long-lead equipment procurement, supply chain constraints, and design changes that can influence project delivery.
Energy consumption is one of the most important considerations in direct air capture project planning because atmospheric carbon dioxide is relatively dilute and extracting it requires substantial processing. The overall environmental value of a facility depends on factors such as energy source, process efficiency, construction materials, transportation requirements, and the durability of carbon storage. Project teams must therefore assess energy availability, power and heat integration, water consumption, lifecycle emissions, and the expected quantity of net carbon removed. This course examines carbon removal accounting, lifecycle assessment, performance baselines, energy optimization, and sustainability verification. Participants will learn to establish project indicators for capture capacity, energy intensity, operating availability, carbon dioxide purity, net removal, and cost per tonne while identifying assumptions that must be validated through engineering studies and operational data.
Environmental compliance, health and safety, and carbon dioxide storage arrangements must be incorporated into direct air capture project planning from the earliest stages. Facilities may require environmental assessments, construction permits, industrial operating approvals, water-use authorizations, emissions reporting arrangements, and coordination with pipeline or geological storage operators, depending on the location and project configuration. Carbon dioxide handling introduces additional considerations involving pressure systems, confined spaces, ventilation, leak detection, and emergency response. This course explores regulatory planning, environmental and social impact assessment, stakeholder engagement, occupational safety, process hazard analysis, and carbon dioxide transport and storage interfaces. Participants will learn how to establish risk registers, coordinate approval processes, prepare mitigation measures, and develop documentation that supports responsible project implementation and long-term environmental accountability.
As direct air capture technology continues to develop, project teams must navigate changing equipment designs, evolving commercial models, uncertain operating costs, carbon credit requirements, and emerging measurement, reporting, and verification expectations. Some projects integrate carbon dioxide utilization, while others focus on geological storage to achieve durable carbon removal. Each pathway creates different infrastructure requirements, commercial risks, and accounting considerations. This course examines modular facility deployment, pilot-to-commercial scale-up, digital process monitoring, automation, artificial intelligence-assisted optimization, and integration with low-carbon energy systems. By the end of the training, participants will be better prepared to plan and manage direct air capture facility projects using structured project controls, multidisciplinary coordination, transparent carbon accounting, and evidence-based decision-making that supports reliable implementation and credible climate outcomes.
Duration
5 days
Who Should Attend
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Project managers responsible for planning and delivering direct air capture facilities, carbon removal infrastructure, and industrial decarbonization projects.
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Chemical and process engineers involved in evaluating DAC technologies, process flow diagrams, mass and energy balances, equipment specifications, and process integration requirements.
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Mechanical engineers responsible for air contactors, fans, pumps, heat exchangers, compressors, pressure systems, and other mechanical components of DAC facilities.
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Environmental engineers and sustainability professionals assessing lifecycle emissions, energy efficiency, water consumption, environmental impacts, and net carbon removal performance.
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Energy project developers coordinating renewable electricity, low-carbon heat, grid connections, energy storage, and utility infrastructure for carbon removal facilities.
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Civil and structural engineers involved in site preparation, foundations, industrial buildings, access roads, drainage, equipment supports, and construction planning.
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Procurement and supply chain professionals managing specialist equipment acquisition, supplier evaluation, transportation, long-lead items, and contractor coordination.
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Contract administrators and commercial managers overseeing engineering, procurement and construction contracts, equipment warranties, performance guarantees, claims, and project variations.
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Carbon capture, utilization, and storage professionals coordinating carbon dioxide conditioning, compression, transportation, utilization pathways, geological storage, and storage service agreements.
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Climate finance professionals, investment analysts, and project sponsors evaluating capital expenditure, operating costs, financing structures, revenue assumptions, and commercial viability.
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Health, safety, and environmental officers responsible for process safety, chemical handling, carbon dioxide exposure prevention, emergency planning, and regulatory compliance.
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Project planners and cost controllers responsible for work breakdown structures, critical path schedules, resource allocation, budget monitoring, forecasting, and implementation reporting.
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Regulatory and permitting specialists coordinating environmental assessments, land-use approvals, industrial permits, water authorizations, and relevant carbon removal requirements.
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Quality assurance and commissioning specialists responsible for equipment inspections, process testing, performance verification, documentation, and operational acceptance.
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Consultants, researchers, technology developers, and public-sector officials seeking practical methods for evaluating, planning, and implementing direct air capture projects.
Course Objectives
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Develop comprehensive project plans for direct air capture facilities that define project scope, carbon removal targets, technical deliverables, implementation milestones, responsibilities, and acceptance criteria.
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Evaluate DAC technology options, including liquid solvent and solid sorbent systems, according to capture capacity, energy demand, technology maturity, operating conditions, and site-specific requirements.
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Conduct feasibility studies and site assessments covering land availability, low-carbon energy access, water requirements, transportation infrastructure, geological storage opportunities, and environmental constraints.
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Prepare realistic project schedules, cost estimates, resource plans, and procurement strategies that account for engineering design, specialized equipment, construction, utilities, commissioning, and contingency requirements.
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Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams, equipment suppliers, construction contractors, energy providers, regulatory authorities, and carbon storage partners throughout the project lifecycle.
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Apply structured project risk management methods to identify and mitigate technology scale-up challenges, supply chain disruptions, permitting delays, cost uncertainty, construction hazards, and operational performance risks.
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Integrate environmental assessment, process safety, occupational health, carbon dioxide handling, emergency preparedness, and regulatory compliance into project planning and execution.
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Establish commissioning and performance verification procedures covering capture capacity, energy consumption, carbon dioxide purity, system availability, emissions, and compliance with approved design requirements.
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Apply lifecycle assessment and carbon accounting principles to evaluate net carbon removal, including emissions associated with energy, materials, construction, transportation, and carbon dioxide handling.
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Implement project monitoring, financial control, stakeholder communication, operational handover, and continuous improvement processes that support reliable facility performance and credible climate benefits.
Comprehensive Course Outline
Module 1: Fundamentals of Direct Air Capture and Project Development
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Explain the scientific principles of direct air capture, atmospheric carbon dioxide removal, sorbent-based separation, solvent-based processes, and the role of engineered carbon removal in climate mitigation.
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Compare DAC technology configurations according to capture mechanisms, regeneration requirements, heat and electricity demand, equipment complexity, technology readiness, and operating characteristics.
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Examine facility applications, including durable carbon dioxide storage, synthetic fuel production, industrial carbon utilization, and integration with broader carbon management infrastructure.
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Define the project lifecycle, stakeholder responsibilities, development milestones, carbon removal objectives, technical dependencies, and governance arrangements for DAC facility implementation.
Module 2: Project Initiation, Feasibility Studies, and Site Selection
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Develop project charters, business cases, preliminary scope statements, feasibility studies, stakeholder registers, and investment decision frameworks for proposed DAC facilities.
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Evaluate potential sites based on land availability, climate conditions, water resources, grid access, renewable energy potential, transportation links, and proximity to carbon dioxide storage infrastructure.
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Assess technology maturity, site-specific engineering constraints, utility requirements, local supply chain capabilities, workforce availability, and project development uncertainties.
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Prepare feasibility reports, preliminary cost estimates, implementation scenarios, site evaluation matrices, and recommendations for advancing projects into detailed engineering and investment approval.
Module 3: Process Engineering, Facility Design, and Infrastructure Planning
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Review process flow diagrams, process design criteria, mass and energy balances, equipment sizing assumptions, and functional requirements for major DAC system components.
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Coordinate planning for air contactors, fans, sorbent or solvent systems, regeneration equipment, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, and carbon dioxide purification systems.
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Define supporting infrastructure requirements for power distribution, low-carbon heat, water treatment, control systems, instrumentation, buildings, drainage, and environmental monitoring.
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Establish design review procedures, interface registers, design change controls, equipment specifications, and requirements traceability to maintain consistency across engineering disciplines.
Module 4: Project Scheduling, Budgeting, and Financial Planning
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Develop work breakdown structures, project schedules, critical path analyses, engineering milestones, construction sequences, procurement timelines, and commissioning plans for DAC projects.
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Estimate capital and operating expenditure covering process equipment, civil works, utilities, energy supply, labor, materials, transport, maintenance, and environmental compliance.
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Evaluate financing assumptions, contingency allowances, operating scenarios, cost per tonne of carbon dioxide captured, and cost per tonne of net carbon removed.
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Apply cost forecasting, schedule variance analysis, earned value management, sensitivity analysis, and financial risk assessment to strengthen project control and investment decision-making.
Module 5: Procurement, Contracts, and Supply Chain Management
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Prepare procurement strategies and technical specifications for air contactors, sorbents, solvents, heat exchangers, compressors, instrumentation, automation systems, and specialized process equipment.
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Evaluate supplier capability, equipment performance guarantees, manufacturing lead times, materials availability, technical support, spare parts, and long-term maintenance requirements.
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Coordinate equipment manufacturing, factory acceptance testing, transportation, customs clearance where applicable, material storage, and delivery sequencing for construction activities.
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Administer engineering, procurement and construction contracts, supplier warranties, performance obligations, change orders, commercial claims, and contractual acceptance milestones.
Module 6: Construction Management, Installation, and Systems Integration
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Plan site preparation, foundations, structural installations, equipment placement, piping networks, electrical systems, control rooms, and supporting utility infrastructure.
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Coordinate installation of process equipment, air handling systems, thermal management components, instrumentation, control systems, and carbon dioxide conditioning equipment.
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Manage contractor interfaces, construction sequencing, work permits, quality inspections, site logistics, progress reporting, and resolution of engineering changes during implementation.
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Establish mechanical completion procedures, installation verification checklists, pre-commissioning requirements, equipment turnover packages, and readiness reviews for integrated system testing.
Module 7: Energy Optimization, Environmental Management, and Sustainability
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Evaluate electricity and heat demand, low-carbon energy integration, heat recovery, thermal efficiency, energy storage, and opportunities to reduce the operational energy intensity of DAC systems.
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Assess water consumption, wastewater management, material requirements, land use, local environmental conditions, and other factors that influence facility sustainability.
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Apply lifecycle assessment methods to quantify emissions associated with energy supply, construction materials, equipment manufacturing, transportation, and facility operations.
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Establish environmental management plans, sustainability indicators, monitoring arrangements, mitigation measures, and reporting procedures aligned with applicable project requirements.
Module 8: Risk Management, Process Safety, and Regulatory Compliance
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Develop project risk registers covering technology performance uncertainty, scale-up challenges, construction delays, supply chain disruptions, financial exposure, and operational reliability.
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Conduct process hazard reviews addressing pressure systems, rotating machinery, chemical handling, high-temperature regeneration processes, confined spaces, and carbon dioxide exposure risks.
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Coordinate environmental assessments, land-use approvals, construction permits, industrial operating permissions, water authorizations, and relevant carbon dioxide transport and storage requirements.
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Establish emergency response plans, occupational safety procedures, contractor safety controls, incident reporting systems, and regulatory compliance registers for project implementation.
Module 9: Carbon Dioxide Transport, Storage, and Emerging Technologies
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Evaluate carbon dioxide conditioning, dehydration, compression, pipeline transportation, alternative transport arrangements, and interface requirements with utilization or storage facilities.
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Examine geological storage planning, storage site characterization, injection infrastructure, monitoring requirements, long-term containment considerations, and relevant regulatory responsibilities.
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Assess modular DAC designs, advanced sorbent materials, improved solvent systems, digital twins, AI-assisted process optimization, and emerging approaches to reducing energy consumption.
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Explore carbon removal certification, measurement, reporting and verification, durable carbon removal procurement, evolving market mechanisms, and the importance of transparent performance evidence.
Module 10: Commissioning, Performance Verification, and Operational Handover
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Develop commissioning strategies covering equipment startup, control system verification, process stabilization, safety system testing, performance testing, and operational readiness reviews.
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Verify capture capacity, carbon dioxide purity, energy consumption, water usage, equipment availability, emissions, and other contractual or project-defined performance indicators.
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Establish carbon accounting and monitoring procedures that distinguish gross capture from net carbon removal and account for relevant lifecycle emissions and carbon storage arrangements.
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Prepare operational procedures, maintenance schedules, asset registers, training materials, warranty records, project closure reports, lessons learned, and long-term performance improvement plans.
Training Approach
This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.
Tailor-Made Course
This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808
Training Venue
The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.
Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant
Certification
Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.
Airport Pickup and Accommodation
Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808
Terms of Payment:
Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.
