Category: Peer-reviewed Publications

Peer-reviewed Publications

Cremona et al. (2025): Techno-economic assessment of high temperature heat pumps integrated in MEA-based post-combustion CO₂ capture for cement plant

Riccardo Cremona, Edoardo De Lena, Antonio Conversano, Maurizio Spinelli, Matteo C. Romano, Manuele Gatti, IN: Carbon Capture Science & Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccst.2025.100446

This study presents a techno-economic assessment of solvent-based (MEA) post-combustion CO₂ capture integration within cement production process, exploring both conventional natural gas (NG) boiler configurations and innovative high-temperature heat pump (HTHP) solutions for thermal energy supply. Heat Pumps exploit the low-temperature waste heat from the cement plant and the capture unit as thermal source in the evaporator. The following options are assessed, either individually or in combination, as alternatives to the boiler for providing the steam required for solvent regeneration: (i) a lean vapor compression (LVC) system integrated within the capture process itself; (ii) a closed Reverse Rankine heat pump; (ii) a cascade system combining a bottoming closed-loop reverse Rankine cycle heat pump with a topping mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) system.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Science – King & Sokol (2025): Soil carbon formation is promoted by saturation deficit and existing mineral-associated carbon, not by microbial carbon-use efficiency

Alison E. King and Noah W. Sokol, IN: Science Advances, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adv9482

Mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) is the largest terrestrial pool of organic carbon, yet controls on its formation remain unresolved. Existing MAOC is thought to preclude additional C storage on minerals, but this perspective is difficult to reconcile with observations that MAOC stacks in multilayers, suggesting that existing MAOC could promote greater C retention. Here, in a manipulative experiment using 118 soils from 15 agricultural sites across the United States, the authors show that MAOC formation is promoted by both existing MAOC and its counterpart—MAOC saturation deficit.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Miao et al. (2025): Critical Review on Feasibility and Challenges of Coupling Direct Air Capture with Renewable Energy

Yihe Miao, et al., IN: ACS ES&T Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.5c00184

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO₂ is attracting more and more attention due to its indispensable role in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 globally. The large-scale development and deployment of DAC rely heavily on renewable energy to ensure its sustainability and economic feasibility. The feasibility of coupling DAC with renewable energy will ultimately determine its potential as a viable negative emission technology for climate change mitigation. This review examines three representative DAC technology pathways and provides a comprehensive perspective on their integration with renewable energy sources.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Nature – Ampah et al. (2025): Scaling carbon removal without delaying emission reductions

Jeffrey Dankwa Ampah, Chao Jin, Haifeng Liu, Felix Schenuit, Sandylove Afrane, Humphrey Adun, David T. Ho, David Morrow, Yang Ou, Xuan Zhang & Haewon McJeon, IN: Nature Reviews Clean Technology, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44359-025-00081-x

Depending on policy design, carbon dioxide removal could either perpetuate fossil fuel consumption and slow emission reductions or, if paired with rapid emission reductions, accelerate net-zero attainment and minimize overshoot periods. Policies that simultaneously and separately mandate emission reductions and near-term carbon dioxide removals could help to prevent mitigation deterrence, while supporting the upscaling of carbon dioxide removal.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Almukainah et al. (2025): Effects of Long-Term CO₂ Storage on Carbonate Rock Stability

Hani Almukainah, Abdulameer Almalichy, Mohamed Mahmoud, Murtada Saleh Aljawad, Ahmed Farid Ibrahim, Mustafa Al-Ramadan, Ahmed Al-Yaseri, IN: Energy & Fuels, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c01974

Carbon geostorage (CGS) is a proven technique for reducing anthropogenic CO₂ emissions and mitigating global warming by injecting CO₂ into deep geologic formations like saline aquifers or reservoirs. However, long-term exposure to CO₂-rich brine can alter the petrophysical properties and impact the storage integrity. This study examines the impact of CO₂ sequestration on the limestone core sample integrity, focusing on porosity, wormhole formation, and geometric tortuosity. Four limestone samples of 1.5-in. in diameter and 3-in. in length were aged in live brine at 60 °C and 2000 psi for 60 days to simulate sequestration conditions.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Nature – McHenry et al. (2025): A blueprint for national assessments of the blue carbon capacity of kelp forests applied to Canada’s coastline

Jennifer McHenry, Daniel K. Okamoto, Karen Filbee-Dexter, Kira A. Krumhansl, Kathleen A. MacGregor, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Brian Timmer, Philippe Archambault, Claire M. Attridge, Delphine Cottier, Maycira Costa, Matthew Csordas, Ladd E. Johnson, Joanne Lessard, Alejandra Mora-Soto, Anna Metaxas, Christopher K. Neufeld, Ondine Pontier, Luba Reshitnyk, Samuel Starko, Jennifer Yakimishyn & Julia K. Baum, IN: NPJ Ocean Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00125-6

Kelp forests offer substantial carbon fixation, with the potential to contribute to natural climate solutions (NCS). However, to be included in national NCS inventories, governments must first quantify the kelp-derived carbon stocks and fluxes leading to carbon sequestration. Here, the authors present a blueprint for assessing the national blue carbon capacity of kelp forests in which data synthesis and Bayesian hierarchical modeling enable estimates of kelp carbon production, storage, and export capacity from limited data. Applying this blueprint to Canada’s extensive coastline, they estimate kelps hold 0.6 to 2.8 Tg C in short-term biomass, producing 1.1 to 6.2 Tg C yr⁻¹, of which 0.04 to 0.4 Tg C yr⁻¹ could be exported to the deep ocean.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Nature – Merfort et al. (2025): Separating CO₂ emission from removal targets comes with limited cost impacts

Anne Merfort, Jessica Strefler, Gabriel Abrahão, Nico Bauer, Tabea Dorndorf, Elmar Kriegler, Gunnar Luderer, Leon Merfort & Ottmar Edenhofer, IN: Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60606-7

Net-zero commitments have become the focal point for countries to communicate long-term climate targets. However, to this point it is not clear to what extent conventional emissions reductions and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will contribute to net-zero. An integrated market for emissions and removals with a uniform carbon price delivers the economically efficient contribution of CDR to net-zero. Yet it might not fully internalise sustainability risks of CDR and hence could lead to its overuse. In this study, the authors explore the implications of separating targets for emissions and for removals delivered by novel CDR in global net-zero emissions pathways with the Integrated Assessment Model REMIND.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Boukhris et al. (2025): TimberTracer: a comprehensive framework for the evaluation of carbon sequestration by forest management and substitution of harvested wood products

I. Boukhris, A. Collalti, S. Lahssini, D. Dalmonech, F. Nakhle, R. Testolin, M. V. Chiriacò, M. Santini & R. Valentini, IN: Carbon Balance and Management, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13021-025-00296-2

Harvested wood products (HWPs) have a pivotal role in climate change mitigation, a recognition solidified in many Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Integrating HWPs’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals into accounting requirements relies on typical decision-oriented tools known as wood product models (WPMs). The study introduces the TimberTracer (TT) framework, designed to simulate HWP carbon stock, substitution effects, and emissions from wood decay and bioenergy.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Uzoagba & Onwualu (2025): Unlocking the Potential of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Sequestrations in Africa

Chidiebele EJ Uzoagba, Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, IN: ResearchGate, https://doi.org/10.7759/s44388-025-03339-z

This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of BECCS technology, the role of BECCS in sustainable development, mitigating climate change, national policies, prospects, challenges, and pathways for developing a BECCS market in Africa. It discusses the technical, economic, and policy dimensions of BECCS, identifies the key biomass resources available in Africa, and explores strategies for overcoming barriers to implementation.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Liu et al. (2025): Co-existence strategies and carbon sequestration contributions of bacterial generalists and specialists in natural wetlands under land use and land cover change

Jiayuan Liu, Ning Zhang, Sen Zhang, Hailong Wu, Fude Liu, IN: Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122107

The function of natural wetlands (NW) as carbon sinks or sources is largely determined by the bacterial community structure, diversity, and function metabolism. However, the responses of generalists and specialists to changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) from NWs undergoing land use and/or land cover change (LULCC) remain unclear. In this study, using 1124 amplicon samples and associated environmental parameters for NWs and corresponding LULCC types globally, the distribution patterns of generalists and specialists, species coexistence, assembly processes, and responses to SOC were evaluated.

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