Year: 2024

Peer-reviewed Publications

Dickhardt et al. (2024): Thermodynamics of Electrochemical Marine Inorganic Carbon Removal

Fabian J. Dickhardt, Michael P. Nitzsche, Simon Rufer, T. Alan Hatton, Kripa K. Varanasi IN: Environmental Science and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c05721

In recent years, marine carbon removal technologies have gained attention as a means of reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. One family of these technologies is electrochemical systems, which employ Faradaic reactions to drive alkalinity-swings and enable dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) removal as gaseous CO2 or as solid minerals. In this work, the authors develop a thermodynamic framework to estimate upper bounds on performance for Faradaic DIC removal systems. 

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Suello et al. (2025): Increased sea level rise accelerates carbon sequestration in a macro-tidal salt marsh

Rey Harvey Suello, Daan Temmerman, Steven Bouillon, Zeinab Khalifeh, Marinka van Puijenbroek, Kelly Elschot, Ignace Pelckmans, Thorbjørn Joest Andersen, Chris Smit, Jan Bakker, Stijn Temmerman IN: Science of The Total Environment 958, 178075, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178075

Salt marshes are known as key ecosystems for nature-based climate mitigation through organic carbon sequestration into their sediment beds, but at the same time they are affected by accelerating sea level rise induced by climate warming. Consequently, an important question is how organic carbon accumulation rates (OCAR) of salt marshes will respond to future accelerating rates of relative sea level rise (RSLR). This study studies the OCAR over four decades at two nearby salt marsh sites in the Netherlands, with similar environmental conditions, but with different RSLR rates.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Desport et al. (2025): Feasibility, conditions, and opportunities for achieving net-negative emissions in the global cement industry

Lucas Desport, Carlos Andrade, Damien Corral, Sandrine Selosse IN: International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 141, 104280, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2024.104280

The cement industry possesses multiple options to decarbonize its operations, including material efficiency, energy efficiency, clinker content reduction, hydrogen utilization, bioenergy, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). By integrating bioenergy and CCS (BECCS), the industry could produce net-negative cement, surpassing the 2050 carbon neutrality pledge of the Global Cement and Concrete Association. In TIAM-FR, a bottom-up optimization model of the global energy system, the authors developed an explicit model of the global cement industry to analyze the potential contribution of BECCS to producing cleaner cement. The authors investigated the technical and policy conditions favorable to BECCS deployment and sustainability, considering different future biomass potentials, yields, rotation periods, and management costs. 

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Wang et al. (2025): Enhancing direct air carbon capture into microalgae: A membrane sparger design with carbonic anhydrase integration

Rui-Long Wang, Ming-Jia Li, Gregory J.O. Martin, Sandra E. Kentish IN: Algal Research 85, 103875, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2024.103875

In this study, a novel membrane gas sparger incorporating a carbonic anhydrase coated electrospun polysulfone membrane is proposed, to enhance the CO2 sequestration rate from atmospheric air into photobioreactors and open raceway ponds. 

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Yuan et al. (2024): Biochar effects on aggregation and carbon-nitrogen retention in different-sized aggregates of clay and loam soils: A meta-analysis

Xiaomai Yuan, Guichen Ban, Yibao Luo, Jinrong Wang, Dingjiao Peng, Run Liang, Tieguang He, Ziting Wang IN: Soil and Tillage Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2024.106365

Biochar offers environmental benefits, such as enhanced soil aggregation and carbon sequestration. However, its effect on soil aggregation and organic carbon and nitrogen sequestration across soil textures remains unclear. In this systematic review, the results of 534 experiments reported in 100 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed. 

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Huang et al. (2024): Exploring the effect of Ulva prolifera components on the biochar carbon sequestration potential

Jiang Huang, Xiao Tan, Imran Ali, Yue Xie, Zhipeng Duan IN: Journal of Cleaner Production 484, 144373, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.144373

The global natural disaster caused by the green tide of Ulva prolifera (U. prolifera) has had significant impacts on marine ecological balance and human activities. Pyrolysis, a green technology, can convert U. prolifera into carbon-rich biochar, has the potential to achieve “green tide management” and “dual carbon target” simultaneously. However, the variability of U. prolifera components in environment poses a challenge to this win-win strategy. Therefore, this study is based on U. prolifera, de-ashed U. prolifera, and its main component model compounds (fucoidan, cellulose, and protein) to explore the effect of biomass internal components on pyrolysis behavior and carbon sequestration potential of biochar.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Bach et al. (2024): Tetraperoxotitanates for High-Capacity Direct Air Capture of Carbon Dioxide

Karlie Bach, Eduard Garrido Ribó, Jacob S. Hirschi, Zhiwei Mao, Makenzie T. Nord, Lev N. Zakharov, Konstantinos A. Goulas, Tim J. Zuehlsdorff, May Nyman IN: Chemistry of Materials, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.4c01795

Materials chemists play a strategic role in achieving ambitious global climate goals, including removing legacy CO2 via direct air capture (DAC). Innovating diverse DAC materials will enable their effective use in varying conditions and improve our understanding of CO2 capture mechanisms. In our current contribution, we have synthesized a family of homoleptic alkali tetraperoxotitanate materials and studied their DAC reactivity.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Kane et al. (2024): Uncertainty in determining carbon dioxide removal potential of biochar

Seth Kane, Ahmad Bin Thaneya, Aysegul Petek Gursel, Jin Fan, Baishakhi Bose, Thomas P Hendrickson, Sarah L Nordahl, Corinne D Scown, Sabbie A Miller and Arpad Horvath IN: Environmental Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad99e9

A quantitative and systematic assessment of uncertainty in life-cycle assessment is critical to informing sustainable development of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. Biochar is the most commonly sold form of CDR to date, and it can be used in applications ranging from concrete to agricultural soil amendments. Previous analyses of biochar rely on modeled or estimated life-cycle data and suggest a cradle-to-gate range of 0.20–1.3 kg CO2 net removal per kg of biomass feedstock, driven by differences in energy consumption, pyrolysis temperature, and feedstock sourcing. Herein, the authors quantify the distribution of CDR possible for biochar production with a compositional life-cycle inventory model paired with scenario-aware Monte Carlo simulation in a “best practice” (incorporating lower transportation distances, high pyrolysis temperatures, high energy efficiency, recapture of energy for drying and pyrolysis energy requirements, and co-generation of heat and electricity) and “poor practice” (higher transportation distances, lower pyrolysis temperatures, low energy efficiency, natural gas for energy requirements, and no energy recovery) scenarios.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Oschlies et al. (2024): Perspectives and challenges of marine carbon dioxide removal

 Andreas Oschlies, Lennart Thomas Bach, Katja Fennel, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Nadine Mengis IN: Frontiers in Climate, doi: 10.3389/fclim.2024.1506181

The authors present the current state of knowledge regarding the potentials, risks, side effects as well as challenges associated with technical feasibility, governance, monitoring, reporting and accounting of marine CDR, covering a range of biotic and geochemical approaches. They specifically discuss to what extent a comparison with direct injection of CO2 into seawater, which had been proposed decades ago and is now prohibited by international agreements, may provide guidance for evaluating some of the biotic marine CDR approaches.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Li & Liu (2024): Legal pathways for China’s blue carbon conservation: a perspective of synergizing ocean and climate rule of law

Haitang Li, Yu Liu IN: Frontiers in Marine Sciences 11, 1497767, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1497767

This study first elucidates the importance of blue carbon conservation and its basis in international law, and then analyzes the progress and shortcomings of China’s efforts in blue carbon protection in the areas of legislation, enforcement, and judicial practices related to ocean governance and climate change mitigation. Finally, from the perspective of coordinating ocean and climate governance, this paper proposes legal pathways to improve blue carbon conservation. 

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