CARBON REMOVAL WEEKLY SUMMARY (11 DECEMBER - 17 DECEMBER 2023)-WEEK#43
Links to recent scientific papers, web posts, upcoming events, job opportunities, podcasts, and event recordings, etc. on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technology.
💸COMMERCIAL NEWS
German cleantech startup NeoCarbon bags €3.2M to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (Silicon Canals)
Estonian startup Arbonics secures €5.5M to scale its forest-carbon removal platform (Silicon Canals)
U.S. Tycoon Mark Cuban And dClimate To Back $1 Billion Congo Carbon Plan (Carbon Herald)
BCG Inks Major Deal to Remove Carbon From the Air (Bloomberg)
Carbonfuture, Exomad Green, and Microsoft Sign One of the Largest Biochar Carbon Removal Deals To-Date (Carbonfuture)
Deep Sky And Carbon Atlantis To Deploy DAC Technology In Canada (Carbon Herald)
Microsoft And Inherit Carbon Solutions Strike A Deal For CO2 Removal (Carbon Herald)
Porsche Announces Partnership For Innovative DAC Project (Carbon Herald)
Mission Zero launched the UK's first-ever direct air capture plant that will extract 50 tonnes of CO2 from the air per year and convert it into jet fuel (Sky News)
Global Thermostat unveils design with top engineering firms for a Direct Air Capture system that can scale to capture millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (Global Thermostat)
New Protocol for Bio-oil Geological Storage (Isometric)
'Bridge to bankability': CUR8, UNDO, British Airways and Standard Chartered launch carbon removals pilot (Business Green)
Al Dahra and Agreena announce carbon farming project on the EU’s largest arable farm at COP28 (Agreena)
📝RESEARCH PAPERS
Assessing biochar's permanence: An inertinite benchmark
Sanei, H., Rudra, A., Przyswitt, Z. M. M., Kousted, S., Sindlev, M. B., Zheng, X., ... & Petersen, H. I. (2023). Assessing biochar's permanence: An inertinite benchmark. International Journal of Coal Geology, 104409.
The interactions between olivine dissolution and phytoplankton in seawater: Potential implications for ocean alkalinization
Li, C., Liu, X., Li, Y., Jiang, Y., Guo, X., Hutchins, D. A., ... & Dai, M. (2023). The interactions between olivine dissolution and phytoplankton in seawater: Potential implications for ocean alkalinization. Science of The Total Environment, 168571.
Quantum Simulations for Carbon Capture on Metal-Organic Frameworks
Dahale, G. R. (2023, September). Quantum Simulations for Carbon Capture on Metal-Organic Frameworks. In 2023 IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE) (Vol. 2, pp. 89-93). IEEE.
A new taxonomy to map evidence on carbon dioxide removal side effects
Prütz, R., Fuss, S., Lück, S., Stephan, L., & Rogelj, J. (2023). A new taxonomy to map evidence on carbon dioxide removal side effects.
Enacting biochar as a climate solution in Denmark
Hougaard, I. M. (2024). Enacting biochar as a climate solution in Denmark. Environmental Science & Policy, 152, 103651.
Carbon dioxide removal using a novel adsorbent derived from calcined eggshell waste for biogas upgrading
Mecha, A. C., & Kiplagat, J. (2023). Carbon dioxide removal using a novel adsorbent derived from calcined eggshell waste for biogas upgrading. South African Journal of Chemical Engineering.
Engineering design of direct-air-capture contactors composed of sorbent particles using numerical simulations
Borker, N. S., Herdtle, T., Sauer, C., Romdhane, I. H., & Pekurovsky, M. Engineering design of direct‐air‐capture contactors composed of sorbent particles using numerical simulations. AIChE Journal.
Carbon removal role and certification standards for biochar
Park, S., & Lee, J. Y. (2023). Carbon removal role and certification standards for biochar. In Proceedings of the Annual Conference of Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management The 34th Annual Conference of Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management (p. 297). Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management.
Methods for Assessing Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) biomass sinking rates ad Decomposition for carbon dioxide removal applications
Krause, S. J. E., Matsumura, S., English, C. J., Carlson, C. A., Miller, R., Valentine, D., & Siegel, D. (2023). Methods for assessing Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) biomass sinking rates and decomposition for carbon dioxide removal applications.
Geo-Spatial Economic Assessment of the Potential Development of Bioenergy Combined with Direct Air Carbon Capture (BEDAC) in the USA
Favero, A., Realff, M., Lucas, M., Giarrusso, A., & Lang, K. (2023). Geo-Spatial Economic Assessment of the Potential Development of Bioenergy Combined with Direct Air Carbon Capture (BEDAC) in the USA. Environmental Science & Technology.
Batteries or silos: Optimizing storage capacity in direct air capture plants to maximize renewable energy use
Arwa, E. O., & Schell, K. R. (2024). Batteries or silos: Optimizing storage capacity in direct air capture plants to maximize renewable energy use. Applied Energy, 355, 122345.
Carbon opportunity cost increases carbon footprint advantage of grain-finished beef
Blaustein-Rejto, D., Soltis, N., & Blomqvist, L. (2023). Carbon opportunity cost increases carbon footprint advantage of grain-finished beef. PloS one, 18(12), e0295035.
Carbon Dioxide Removal Estimation Method to Remove Cumulative Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions Distribution to Natural Sinks
Fiume, S. (2023). Carbon Dioxide Removal Estimation Method to Remove Cumulative Anthropogenic CO Emissions Distribution to Natural Sinks. Authorea Preprints.
Soil Carbon Sequestration: Much More Than a Climate Solution
Minasny, B., McBratney, A. B., Arrouays, D., Chabbi, A., Field, D. J., Kopittke, P. M., ... & Rumpel, C. (2023). Soil Carbon Sequestration: Much More Than a Climate Solution. Environmental Science & Technology.
Assessment of carbon capture techniques and their carbon sequestration potential, technical characteristics, and cost
Yu, C. Assessment of carbon capture techniques and their carbon sequestration potential, technical characteristics, and cost.
Uncertainty in Carbon Dioxide Removal: A Crisis Response Abrupt Mitigation Scenario (CRAMS)
Chen, A., & Lin, B. L. (2023). Uncertainty in Carbon Dioxide Removal: A Crisis Response Abrupt Mitigation Scenario (CRAMS).
Particle fluxes by subtropical pelagic communities under ocean alkalinity enhancement
Suessle, P., Taucher, J., Goldenberg, S., Baumann, M., Spilling, K., Noche-Ferreira, A., ... & Riebesell, U. (2023). Particle fluxes by subtropical pelagic communities under ocean alkalinity enhancement. EGUsphere, 2023, 1-26.
Short-term impact assessment of ocean liming: A copepod exposure test
Camatti, E., Valsecchi, S., Caserini, S., Barbaccia, E., Santinelli, C., Basso, D., & Azzellino, A. (2024). Short-term impact assessment of ocean liming: A copepod exposure test. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 198, 115833.
Analysis of soil carbon storage and carbon sequestration potential of permanent pastures for beef cattle at Zamorano, Honduras
Reconco M, A. G. (2023). Analysis of soil carbon storage and carbon sequestration potential of permanent pastures for beef cattle at Zamorano, Honduras (Doctoral dissertation, Zamorano: Escuela Agrícola Panamericana).
Making the 1.5°C Aspirational Climate Target Tangible with Carbon Dioxide Removal and Boundary Work
Hansson, A. (2024). Making the 1.5° C Aspirational Climate Target Tangible with Carbon Dioxide Removal and Boundary Work. In Climate, Science and Society (pp. 268-275). Routledge.
📰WEB POSTS
A Transformative Carbon Sink in the Ocean? (EOS)
Shopify is all-in on carbon removal – here’s what we did in 2023 (Shopify)
Some nations want to remove more pollution than they produce. That will take giving nature a boost (AP News)
Carbon removal, at county scale—Roads to Removal charts the future of US carbon removal through a magnifying glass (Carbon180)
The limitations of CCS and CDR and their grip on our future climate | Explained (The Hindu)
Two former Department of Energy staffers warn we’re doing carbon removal all wrong (MIT Technology Review)
RepAir Unveils Direct Air Capture (DAC) Field Prototype, Demonstrating Sustainable Carbon Removal at the Gigaton Scale (Climate Global News)
Bad Black Carbon in the AIR (Ecosocial Carbon Dioxide Removal)
First concrete-based carbon rating (BeZeroCarbon)
Carbon removal concerns, and Yahoo’s China controversy (MIT Technology Review)
“Carbon Management”: Opportunities and risks for ambitious climate policy (SWP)
Frontiers Offtake progress (Frontier)
COP28: mixed results on removals, markets and carbon capture (Illuminem)
10 highlights from a monumental year for carbon removal (Carbon180)
Direct air capture: An expensive, dangerous distraction from real climate solutions (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists)
A Long-Shot Climate Bet Suddenly Turns Hot (WSJ)
Stop Planting Trees, Says Guy Who Inspired World to Plant a Trillion Trees (WIRED)
Wyoming grants its first three Class VI permits (Wyoming)
Carbon removal is not a finite resource (Marginal Carbon)
Sweden And Switzerland To Collaborate On International Carbon Removals Trading (Carbon Herald)
CDR Estimates Using Leachate Alkalinity - An Update With Improvements And One Correction (Carbon Drawdown Initiative)
📑REPORTS
Roads to Removal: Options for Carbon Dioxide Removal in the United States
Scaling Direct Air Capture (DAC): A moonshot or the sky’s the limit?
A Roadmap for Ocean Negative Carbon Emission eco-engineering in sea-farming Fields
📗BOOKS
Climate Intervention—Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration (NASEM)
Soil Carbon Dynamics in the Indian Himalayan Region (SpringerLink)
🗣️DISCUSSIONS
Dissing DAC
🧰CDR FIRMS
Kelp Blue
Cascade Climate
📆UPCOMING EVENTS
This Is CDR Ep90: Carbon to Sea -- Field-Building for Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement by OpenAir Collective | 19 December 2023
(NEW) Carbon Dioxide Removal Developments at COP28 by Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy | 19 December 2023
(NEW) Carbon Open Canvas by AirMiners | 20 December 2023
(NEW) Info Session/Webinar with Peter Reinhardt by OpenAir | 08 January 2024
CDR Capital Flow Chapter meeting | Paris Roundtable by Negative Emissions Platform | 11 January and 18 January 2024
2024 Call for Proposals—The importance of robust science-based innovation in the drive for rapid implementation by Carbon Technology Research Foundation | 16 January 2023
(NEW) A transatlantic dialogue: carbon removal policy in the EU and USA by Carbon Gap | 17 January 2023
Science Communication Training on Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal by Compass | Session 1: 1-2 February 2024, Session 2: 18 February 2024
CDR Capital Flow Chapter meeting | London Roundtable by Negative Emissions Platform | 01 February and 08 February 2024
Biochar 2024: The North American Conference on Climate Action with Biochar for Economic and Ecosystem Resilience by US Biochar Initiative (USBI) | 12-15 February 2024
The Leading Carbon Removal Business Summit by Carbon UnboundUSA | 22-23 May 2024
Negative CO₂ Emissions hosted at the University of Oxford by CO₂RE - The Greenhouse Gas Removal Hub, with financial support from UKRI | 18-21 June 2024
💼JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Associate Director of Plant Transformation at Living Carbon | San Francisco Bay Area
“Living Carbon’s mission is to responsibly rebalance the planet’s carbon cycle using the power of plants.”
Regional Sales Manager at CarbonCure | Europe
“CarbonCure’s technologies enable concrete producers to optimize their concrete mix designs to produce the same high quality concrete with a reduced carbon footprint. Through carbon mineralization, CarbonCure is transforming these concrete plants into a global network of carbon removal factories to help restore a healthy balance of CO2 in our atmosphere.”
Various Open Positions at Cascade Climate:
“Cascade Climate accelerates progress in interventions that harness Earth’s natural systems—from soils, to oceans, to glaciers—to help stabilize our climate. Their initial focus is advancing the development of a healthy market for enhanced rock weathering (ERW), underpinned by its scientific evidence base and its potential for gigaton-scale, durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR).”
Assistant Professor in Carbon Dioxide Removal at Heriot-Watt University | Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
“We are looking for a talented and highly motivated individual to join our learning and teaching activities within the Chemical & Process Engineering programme at the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS).
Working with colleagues in the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, you will develop a novel teaching programme and materials for Carbon Dioxide Removal. You will also deliver and assess undergraduate, and postgraduate taught courses in Chemical and Process Engineering based at our Edinburgh campus, collaborating with colleagues at our overseas campuses in Dubai and Malaysia, and will engage with our international learning partners throughout the globe. The role holder will be expected to contribute to teaching and scholarship leadership, academic administration, and course development and enhancement.”
Coordinator: Swiss Carbon Removal Platform (30 – 50%) | Zurich Wiedikon
“The aim of the non-profit organization Risk Dialogue is to enable society to deal with future issues in energy & Climate, risk competence & Resilience culture as well as digitalization & deal with society. In 2021 we founded the Swiss Carbon Removal Platform (CDR Swiss) to ensure the sustainable and socially anchored use of CO2 -Removal and storage (Carbon Dioxide Removal CDR) in Switzerland in a long-term and participatory manner.”
Various Open Positions at Carbonfuture:
“Carbonfuture is actively removing carbon from the atmosphere, ensuring a just and liveable future for generations to come. We have ambitious goals and are looking for forward-thinking and courageous people to help us maximize our impact.”
🎙️PODCASTS
Progress on Woody Biomass Burial | Nori
“Biomass burial is a CDR methodology that we haven’t yet dug into on our show. Compared to some CDR techniques, biomass burial is a surprisingly simple approach. It involves burying wood trimmings underground to prevent decomposition and thus, the release of carbon back into the atmosphere.
Our guests today are Ning Zeng, a professor at the University of Maryland and founder of Carbon Lockdown, and Daniel Sanchez, chief scientist for biomass carbon removal and storage at Carbon Direct.
They are both developing this methodology which attempts to take advantage of nature's ability to capture CO2 in trees. By creating wood vaults in a underground oxygen-free environment - they aim to preserve carbon for potentially thousands of years.
This method has begun to garner attention from investors, offset marketplaces like Puro, and the media.
On this episode we'll explore the science behind biomass burial, its potential impact on reducing atmospheric CO2, and how it fits into the larger CDR portfolio.”
Getting serious about scale | The Carbon Removal Show | Negative Emissions, Net Zero, Climate Positive
“Kicking off Season 3, Tom and Emily are exploring what it will take to grow the carbon removal industry to the scale we need. They speak to various actors in the carbon removal space, from project developers and policy experts to marketplaces and buyers. Their curiosity for the scaling problem took the team on a trip to Basel, Switzerland for a CDR conference hosted by Carbonfuture: Carbon Removal Basel.
The team uses this episode to highlight some key themes around trust and scaling up that will be explored throughout the season.”
A concrete solution to climate change | Today, Explained
“Concrete is one of the world’s biggest sources of carbon emissions. Tech companies, including a startup co-founded by former NBA star Rick Fox, are looking to change that.
This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Isabel Angell, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King.”
Carbon Removal Decoded: Markets, Tech, Prices & Oil Impact (ft. Robert Höglund, from CDR.fyi) | Climate Insiders
“In today's show, I'm receiving Robert Höglund, one of top experts in Carbon Dioxide Removal (or CDR). He manages the Milkywire Climate Transformation Fund, and co-founded the CDR market overview CDR.fyi.
This discussion is perfect for those who are just getting started or want to explore the state of CDR in more depth.
We cover:
-The various forms of CDR technology
-Which one is ahead of the game today, and why that might change soon
-The role of governments in driving this industry
-Price predictions for the Carbon price
-The impact of Oil & Gas, and whether they hinder progress.
-We discuss how providing more data through platforms like CDR.fyi and spicing up the industry through competitions like the XPrize Challenge can break the glass ceiling of CDR and truly accelerate its growth.”
Roads to CO2 Removal | Climate Now
“How much CO2 is it possible to remove in the United States and at what cost? Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists and researchers from more than a dozen institutions have completed a first-of-its-kind national assessment of carbon dioxide removal options, ranging from the role of cropland soils, carbon capture, CO2 transport, and more. In today’s episode, Climate Now interviewed several of the report’s authors to provide an overview of the negative emissions pathways—ones that physically remove CO2 from the atmosphere—that can help the United States reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, or sooner.
You can read the new report and learn more at https://livermorelab.info/Roads2Removal”
Carbon removal boots on the COP28 ground—w/ Tito Jankowski, CEO of AirMiners | Reversing Climate Change
“What's the hallway buzz about carbon removal in Dubai? Is carbon removal a fringe topic or top of mind for attendees? And what's it mean for major climate events to happen in petrostates? Who's ready for Baku, 2024?!
It’s COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the international gathering at which member nations converge to outline their ambitions and responsibilities in regards to climate change.
Reversing Climate Change host Ross Kenyon spoke with Tito Jankowski, CEO of Airminers, who was literally in Dubai while recording. Tito shared a firsthand account of what it is like being on the ground at this controversial COP chatting about climate action and carbon removal.
Tito finds that the critical question he keeps coming back to is “Do you think carbon removal is necessary for a sustainable climate?”If the answer to that is no, where do you go from there? Every nine days we put another billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Ross and Tito talk about temperature control as a possible reframe (and its possible geoengineering connotations and whether that matters), the cultural landscape of the UAE, and whether next year's COP in Azerbaijan gives OPEC nations a stake in fossil fuel phaseout or enables delay.”
Mike Kelland | A Planetary Approach to Fixing the Climate Crisis | The Jordan Harbinger Show
“What novel scientific breakthroughs will bring us back from the brink of total climate catastrophe? Mike Kelland of Planetary Technologies explains here!
What We Discuss with Mike Kelland:
-The regressive consequences of climate change denial (and why the climate crisis isn’t a hoax no matter what your nutty uncle said throughout the entirety of Thanksgiving dinner).
-The role carbon plays in climate change.
-Current and projected methods of removing carbon from the environment.
-How Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) enables the ocean to safely capture excess atmospheric carbon while combating the effects of ocean acidification.
-The role of companies in accelerating carbon removal.
And much more…”
🎥YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Roads to Removal - Overview | Livermore Lab Foundation
The sociotechnical dynamics of negative emissions, carbon removal, and solar geoengineering | Policy Studies Organization
Carbon Removal Decoded: Markets, Tech, Prices & Oil Impact (ft. Robert Höglund, from CDR.fyi) | Climate Insiders
“In today's show, I'm receiving Robert Höglund, one of top experts in Carbon Dioxyde Removal (or CDR). He manages the Milkywire Climate Transformation Fund, and co-founded the CDR market overview CDR.fyi.
This discussion is perfect for those who are just getting started or want to explore the state of CDR in more depth.
We cover:
-The various forms of CDR technology
-Which one is ahead of the game today, and why that might change soon
-The role of governments in driving this industry
-Price predictions for the Carbon price
-The impact of Oil & Gas, and whether they hinder progress.
-We discuss how providing more data through platforms like CDR.fyi and spicing up the industry through competitions like the XPrize Challenge can break the glass ceiling of CDR and truly accelerate its growth.”
Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal: Science, Governance and Policy for Safe and Transparent Implementation | UN Climate Change - Events
“The ocean is the planets’ largest carbon reservoir. Interest in using marine spaces to facilitate CDR for climate change mitigation must be based on solid science and address environmental impacts, risks, co-benefits, technical feasibility, cost effectiveness and political/societal acceptance.”
This Is CDR Ep.89: Rewind with Ram Amar & Prof. Dror Angel | OpenAir
“This week This Is CDR welcomes Rewind Co-Founders Ram Amar and Professor Dror Angel who will discuss the company's approach to CDR via terrestrial biomass sinking in anoxic zones of the Black Sea.”
Year End AirMiners 'Carbys' Celebration! | AirMiners
“AirMiners is hosting a Year-end ‘Carbys’ holiday party!! We want to build our community by providing a capstone event to an excellent 2023 as the carbon removal industry achieves new heights.”
📺EVENT RECORDINGS FROM COP28 DUBAI
Biochar & The Last Mile: Refugees In Uganda And Rural Farmers In Kenya Driving Innovation | CarbonRemovalsCOP28
A Look Forward: The Indigenous Greenhouse Gas Removal Commission | CarbonRemovalsCOP28
Epiphyte: Opensource Community-Driven Direct Air Capture | CarbonRemovalsCOP28
The Next Generation of CDR Innovators | Rethinking Removals
“In order to scale carbon removal to the levels necessary to solve the climate crisis, we will need to mobilize the next generation of CDR innovators. Meet the promising young innovators working across several CDR pathways who are scaling their solutions in the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal. Join us for an exciting discussion around what has inspired and motivated them to grow into emerging leaders in the CDR space and hear more about the challenges and opportunities they are facing as the industry grows.”
Carbon Removal & Community Engagement: A Discussion of Real World Practices | Rethinking Removals
“This webinar was hosted by Rethinking Removals for Carbon Removals at COP during COP28 in Dubai on December 12, 2023.
This session brings together practitioners representing a diverse range carbon removal methods and companies operating in different contexts to share insights and learnings from their experiences. engaging and partnerning with communities to realize projects.”
Surviving & Thriving in a Nascent Market - Key Challenges and Strategies for Carbon Removal Startups | Rethinking Removals
“Join Marian Krueger, co-founder of remove - a non-profit that catalyzes Carbon Removal startups and ecosystems - as he sits with 4 Carbon Removal startup founders to discuss their first-hand challenges and successes in the nascent CDR market. The session will start with insights from an original report on 40 CDR startups and the key obstacles and opportunities they've been met with, followed by a live panel and interactive Q&A with the co-founders of Ctrl+Z, Everest Carbon, Terra Preta and MORFO.”
PopUp at COP28: Networked, Farmer-Led Biochar in East Africa | Rethinking Removals
“During COP28 in Dubai, Rethinking Removals deployed three interactive 'PopUps' each focused on a different carbon removal approach and project.
In this short interview filmed from the COP28 Innovation Zone, Kenyan soil scientist Sarah Nelima Walekhwa shares an overview of her PopUp, which tells the story of how last mile subsistence farmers in Kenya and Uganda are leverage mobile and web technology to optimize biochar production and tap into carbon removal markets to sustain and grow their operations.”
Artificial Upwelling Pumps for Carbon Dioxide Removal | Rethinking Removals
“Artificial upwelling refers to pumping up cooler, nutrient-rich waters from the deep to stimulate phytoplankton activity and draw down carbon dioxide. In this session, recorded in conjunction with Carbon Removals at COP28, Phil Kithil, CEO of Ocean-Based Climate Solutions, Inc., provides a comprehensive overview of this approach.”
👥CONSULTATIONS REQUIRED
The draft U.S. and Canada Biochar Protocol is available for public review | Deadline to submit public comments: 21 December 2023
🚨DEADLINES
Deadline Extended: A student innovation challenge for carbon removal solutions by OpenAir | Deadline: 15 January 2024
Deadline Extended: Submit abstracts for the International Negative CO2 Emissions Conference until 01 January 2024
AirMiners Launchpad Batch #11 (Session: February to March 2024) | Application Deadline: 11 January 2024
“AirMiners Launchpad engages with entrepreneurs in an intensive six-week program for early carbon removal teams or individuals striving to advance their startup to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply!