The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday announced the 24 semi-finalists selected for the Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Purchase Pilot Prize (the Prize). The Prize will ultimately provide up to $35M in the form of CDR Purchase Agreements from the DOE. The Phase 1 semi-finalists will each receive $50K to scale CDR approaches across four pathways: (i) direct air capture (DAC) with storage; (ii) biomass with carbon removal and storage; (iii) enhanced rock weathering and mineralization; and (iv) planned or managed carbon sinks. The Prize aims to develop CDR markets, demonstrate rigorous monitoring practices, and model workforce and community benefits. The Phase 1 semi-finalists under each category of the Prize are: DAC with Storage Avnos, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA). Hybrid DAC technology that produces 5 tons of water per ton of CO2 captured, while eliminating external heat input. Delivery proposal: 3,000 CDR credits. Carbon America (Arvada, CO). Carbon America and Global Thermostat leverage Colorado’s diverse assets to demonstrate a scalable model for DAC-powered carbon dioxide removal. Delivery proposal: 3,400 CDR credits.  CarbonCapture, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA). Stores captured carbon in low-carbon concrete. Delivery proposal: 3,333 CDR credits. Climeworks (Austin, TX). Project Cypress, a DAC plus storage project in Louisiana, builds on the company’s Mammoth plant to reach a megaton scale by 2030. Delivery proposal: 3,500 CDR credits. Global Thermostat and Fervo Energy (Brighton, CO). Building a high efficiency, zero-carbon energy, integrated DAC, and geothermal deployment. Delivery proposal: 3,500 CDR credits.    Heirloom (Brisbane, CA). Employs carbon mineralization (using limestone as a feedstock) to remove CO2 from the air, and then permanently store it. Delivery proposal: 3,030 CDR credits. 1PointFive (Houston, TX). The Stratos DAC facility will capture up to 500K MtCO2/year when fully operational. Delivery proposal: 3,861 CDR credits.  280 Earth (Palo Alto, CA). Uses DAC technology designed for modularity and scalability, integrating mechanical and…