In many ways, DAC is similar to what plants and trees do in photosynthesis, though at a faster pace and with a smaller physical footprint. However, it's a more expensive process than a point-source capture system because carbon dioxide in the air is much more diluted than flue gas from an industrial plant.
Once captured, carbon dioxide flows through pipelines to sequestration or utilization sites. Carbon dioxide is commonly used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), where oil companies inject carbon dioxide into a legacy oil reservoir to increase pressure and raise production rates.