LATAM Airlines is a step closer to having a carbon neutral operation after announcing its intention to explore opportunities for the elimination of CO2 through direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS). This announcement has been made in collaboration and in association with other industry players after signing a letter of intent with Airbus to evaluate the technology, a document also signed by Air Canada, easyJet, International Airlines Group, Lufthansa Group and Virgin Atlantic.

LATAM is the first airline in Latin America to explore this technology that allows filtering and capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to later store it safely and permanently at great depths.

“DACCS represents an innovative way to not only remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but also has the potential to play a role in the development of sustainable synthetic aviation fuels,” said Juan José Tohá, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability of LATAM Airlines Group.

The executive added that “on the path to carbon neutrality, collaborative work is key and there is no single solution. That is why we are implementing different measures to be net zero, including greater efficiencies, sustainable aviation fuels and new technologies, supported by the conservation of strategic ecosystems and quality offsets.”

This announcement is part of the group's sustainability strategy that seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To this end, LATAM is working on its Climate Change pillar, which includes the implementation of measures and best practices for the efficient use of fuel to reduce emissions, the development of SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) and support for the conservation of strategic ecosystems. It should be remembered that the group recently undertook the commitment to reach 5% SAF in its operations by 2030, prioritising production in South America.

DACCS technology

DACCS is a high-potential technology that allows up to 90% of CO2 emissions to be filtered and removed from the air using fans and absorbers in a carbon-neutral facility powered by zero-emission energy sources. After filtering or removing CO2 emissions, it safely and permanently stores it in depleted underground oil and gas fields or deep salt formations. 

Since the aviation industry is unable to capture CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere, a direct airborne carbon capture and storage solution would allow the industry to extract emissions from its operations directly from atmospheric air.

The extraction of carbon directly from the air and its subsequent permanent storage is a great innovation that is complementary to the use of new technologies, the use of sustainable fuels and the protection of strategic ecosystems, all of which are key to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change establishing that it is a necessary measure to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

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ABOUT LATAM AIRLINES GROUP

LATAM is the leading airline group in Latin America present in five domestic markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, in addition to international operations inside Latin America and between it and Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand. 

The group has a fleet of Boeing 767, 777, 787, Airbus A321, A320, A320neo and A319 aircraft.

LATAM Cargo Chile, LATAM Cargo Colombia, and LATAM Cargo Brazil are the LATAM Airlines freight subsidiaries. In addition to having access to the passenger cargo holds of LATAM Airlines Group, they have a fleet of 11 freighters, which will gradually increase to a total of up to 21 freighters by 2023.

They operate on the LATAM Group network as well as international routes that are solely used for shipping. They offer modern Infrastructure, a wide variety of services and protection options to meet all customer needs.

www.latam.com