NGK Ceramics in Direct Air Capture: Aircapture and AIZAWA Concrete Demo in Japan

Direct air capture is getting a materials upgrade. Aircapture and NGK installed a demonstration DAC unit at AIZAWA Concrete's Fukushima R&D centre, using NGK honeycomb ceramic substrates to capture CO2 from the air. The captured carbon is then mixed with concrete plant wastewater, turning into calcium carbonate that goes back into new concrete. The project is designed to test durability and energy use in real operating conditions, not just in the lab. The ceramic design matters because it lowers airflow resistance and thermal capacity, which cuts blower and regeneration energy. Aircapture also argues that modular, standardised units can improve cost and performance faster than one large plant. Japan is the early target market, since the country has limited domestic high-purity CO2 supply and is aiming for net zero by 2050. The demo is small, but it is a concrete test of whether DAC can plug into existing industrial processes.