Month: July 2023

Calls

EU-Survey: Industrial Removal Certification Methodologies

Deadline: 15 September 2023

On the 30th of November 2022, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a voluntary framework to reliably certify high-quality carbon removals. To ensure the quality and comparability of carbon removals, the proposed regulation establishes four QU.A.L.ITY criteria.

The objective of this questionnaire is to obtain a comprehensive overview of existing certification methodologies for industrial carbon removal practices and to understand how (and whether) they ensure that carbon removals are accurately quantified and additional, that carbon is stored for the long-term, and that carbon removal activities are sustainable. The survey is structured along the proposed QU.A.L.ITY criteria and is aligned with Annex I, which lists the elements that a certification methodology shall include in the future Delegated Acts. The results of this survey will be presented during a meeting of the Expert Group on Carbon Removals, which is planned for the 25 and 26 October 2023.

LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Assaf et al. (2023): Preliminary Design and Analysis of a Photovoltaic-Powered Direct Air Capture System for a Residential Building

Anwar Hamdan Al Assaf, Odi Fawwaz Alrebei, Laurent M. Le Page, Luai El-Sabek, Bushra Obeidat, Katerina Kaouri, Hamed Abufares, Abdulkarem I. Amhamed IN: Energies 16(14), 5583, https://doi.org/10.3390/en16145583

This paper proposes and tests a photovoltaic-powered DAC (Direct Air Capture) system in a generic residential building located in Qatar. It can efficiently reduce CO2 concentration in a living space, thus providing an incentive to individuals to adopt it. The ventilation performance of the building is determined using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, undertaken with ANSYS-CFD. The CFD model was validated using microclimate-air quality dataloggers.

LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Reynaert et al. (2023): Basalt addition improves the performance of young grassland monocultures under more persistent weather featuring longer dry and wet spells

Simon Reynaert, Arthur Vienne, Hans J De Boeck, Tommy D’Hose, Ivan Janssens, Ivan Nijs, Miguel Portillo-Estrada, Erik Verbruggen, Sara Vicca, Sílvia Poblador IN: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 340, 109610, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109610

Tha authors investigated whether basalt addition could attenuate effects of increasingly persistent precipitation regimes (PR) on two agricultural grassland monocultures differing in drought resistance (low: Lolium perenne (LP) vs high: Festulolium (FL)) and digestibility (high: LP, low: FL), while improving soil C sequestration. In total, 32 experimental mesocosms were subjected to either a low (1-day wet/dry alternation) or a highly (30-day wet/dry alternation) persistent PR over 120 days, keeping total precipitation equal. In half of these mesocosms, the authors mixed basalt with the top 20 cm soil layer at a rate of 50 t ha−1.

LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Sharma et al. (2023): A critique of the effectiveness of biochar for managing soil health and soil biota

Saurabh Sharma, Manisha Negi, Uday Sharma, Pardeep Kumar, Anjali Chauhan, Shavnam, Vijeta Katoch, Rohit Sharma IN: Applied Soil Ecology 191, 105065, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.105065

This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the different facets of biochar (BCH), including its potential positive and negative impacts on soil fertility, biology, and pathology. The incorporation of BCH in soil has been shown to boost plant growth, promote bacterial activity, and increase invertebrate populations. The specific type of BCH utilized, including the feedstock (FS) and pyrolysis temperature, in conjunction with pollutant concentrations, play a crucial role in determining the ultimate impact of this material on soil. Adverse effects of BCH on soil can manifest due to multiple factors, underscoring the need for meticulous and appropriate measures prior to its use in agriculture.

LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Liu et al. (2023): A new approach to CO2 capture and sequestration: A novel carbon capture artificial aggregates made from biochar and municipal waste incineration bottom ash

Jun Liu, Guang Liu, Weizhuo Zhang, Zhenlin Li, Hesong Jin, Feng Xing IN: Construction and Building Materials 398, 132472, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.132472

The authors produced new carbon capture artificial aggregates (CCAAs) with environmentally-friendly and carbon sequestration capacity by combining sawdust biochar and municipal domestic waste incineration bottom ash (MSWIBA). Here, the authors investigated the carbon sequestration performance of CCAAs with different incorporation rates of biochar (1%, 3%, and 5%) and the changes in mechanical properties of CCAAs before and after carbonation at different curing ages (7 days and 28 days).

LINK

#
Reports

Carbon Direct and Microsoft release 2023 edition of the Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal

by Matthew D. Potts & Bodie Cabiyo, Carbon Direct, July 2023

The science of carbon removal is a multifaceted and constantly evolving field, with effective action hinging on the latest available science and technology. To keep pace, benchmarks like the Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Removal must also continually evolve to use current research to improve how project baselines are established, refine tracking and monitoring methods for existing and emerging carbon removal methods, and incorporate the most recent environmental justice best practices. This 2023 edition advances benchmarks in all of these areas to match rapid changes in the voluntary carbon market to ensure that the science and math align. For example, criteria updates for well-established methods such as forestry and agroforestry reflect ongoing advancements in setting robust baselines, and updated measuring and reporting guidelines reflect ongoing research for promising (but still emerging) carbon removal methods such as enhanced rock weathering and soil-based carbon sequestration.

LINK

#
Calls

Session at OSM24: CM004 – Modeling Approaches in Support of Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Research

Abstract Submission Deadline: 13 September, 2023

Ocean Sciences Meeting 2024: 18-23 February, New Orleans

This session will report on various modeling approaches, and their integration with ocean observations, for addressing ocean-based CDR challenges including macroalgae cultivation, nutrient fertilization, and alkalinity enhancement. We invite contributions across a broad range of scales from particle-environment interactions on micrometers to meters, regional models covering 10s to 1000s of meters, to global models of the Earth system, to provide a comprehensive understanding of ocean-based CDR approaches.

Chair: Katja Fennel, Co-chairs: Kristen A Davis, David P Keller, Hyewon Kim

LINK

#
Events

6th International Workshop on Offshore Geologic Storage

13th – 15th September 2023, University of Aberdeen (UK)

The workshop explores global developments in offshore geologic CO2 storage and shares expertise and learning on projects. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with organisations involved in live projects and learn about different considerations including transport, infrastructure, injection and wells, business models, working with other seabed users, monitoring, environmental aspects, stakeholder engagement and the legal and regulatory environment.

LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Duke et al. (2023): Canada’s marine carbon sink: an early career perspective on the state of research and existing knowledge gaps

P.J. Duke, B. Richaud, R. Arruda, J. Länger, K. Schuler, P. Gooya, M.M.M. Ahmed, M.R. Miller, C.A. Braybrook, K. Kam, R. Piunno, Y. Sezginer , G. Nickoloff, A.C. Franco IN: Facets, https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2022-0214

A group of early career ocean professionals working in Canada, summarize current research and identify steps forward to improve the understanding of the marine carbon sink in Canadian national and offshore waters. The authors have compiled an extensive collection of reported surface ocean air–sea carbon dioxide exchange values within each of Canada’s three adjacent ocean basins. They review the current understanding of air–sea carbon fluxes and identify major challenges limiting our understanding in the Pacific, the Arctic, and the Atlantic Ocean. They focus on ways of reducing uncertainty to inform Canada’s carbon stocktake, establish baselines for marine carbon dioxide removal projects, and support efforts to mitigate and adapt to ocean acidification.

LINK

#
Peer-reviewed Publications

Almaraz et al. (2023): Soil carbon sequestration in global working lands as a gateway for negative emission technologies

Maya Almaraz, Maegen Simmonds, F. Garrett Boudinot, Alan V. Di Vittorio, Nina Bingham, Sat Darshan S. Khalsa, Steven Ostoja, Kate Scow, Andrew Jones, Iris Holzer, Erin Manaigo, Emily Geoghegan, Heath Goertzen, Whendee L. Silver IN: Global Change Biology, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16884

Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) practices in working lands provide a low-tech and cost-effective means for removing CO2 from the atmosphere while also delivering co-benefits to people and ecosystems. The model estimates suggest that, assuming additive effects, the technical potential of combined SCS practices can provide 30%–70% of the carbon removal required by the Paris Climate Agreement if applied to 25%–50% of the available global land area, respectively. Herein, the authors present an argument for the immediate adoption of SCS practices in working lands and recommendations for improved implementation.

LINK

#