Audi has announced its support for a project by Swiss environmental startup Climeworks, which captures CO2 directly from the atmosphere and stores it by converting it into "stone." Through Climeworks, Audi will remove 1,000 tons of CO2 annually.

Audi has been supporting Climeworks' CO2 capture technology development since 2013. In 2018, the two companies built a facility in Hinwil, Switzerland, to filter CO2 from the air and supply it to the beverage industry, which produces carbonated drinks.

Now, Climeworks has constructed the world's largest facility in Iceland to capture more CO2 and mineralize it underground through natural processes. Audi has partnered with Climeworks to form a project and advance the technology.

The mechanism for mineralizing CO2 begins with Direct Air Capture technology, which extracts CO2 from the surrounding atmosphere and returns clean air to the environment. The CO2 filtered from the air is then heated to 100 degrees Celsius using waste heat from a nearby geothermal power plant, releasing the captured CO2 molecules.

Next, water flowing from the Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant, Iceland's largest, is used to transport the CO2 approximately 2,000 meters underground, where it reacts with basalt rock through natural mineralization processes, converting into carbonate over several years. The mineralized CO2 is permanently stored underground, and the water used is returned to the geothermal power plant's cycle, creating an environmentally friendly system.

This facility operates 24/7, filtering 4,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually. Through a credit system, one-quarter of this amount is allocated to Audi, effectively meaning Audi filters 1,000 tons of CO2 each year.

Audi, which aims to be a completely CO2-neutral company in all aspects by 2050, commented, "From a scientific perspective, capturing CO2 from the atmosphere is a crucial measure for achieving the Group's climate goals, alongside reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles and factories. Through our participation in Climeworks' CO2 capture project, we are contributing to decarbonization."