CO2-removal News

Peer-reviewed Publications

Scholz et al. (2026): bioDYM: Dynamic material flow analysis for biogenic carbon management and CDR strategy assessment

Johannes Roland Scholz, Albrecht Fritze, Lukas Hoppe, Vera Susanne Rotter, IN: Research Square, https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10156871/v1

Carbon management and the assessment of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) strategies in the circular economy require dynamic material flow analysis (dMFA) tools capable of tracking and forecasting the complex and circular system behavior of heterogeneous carbon flows, stocks, and process dynamics over time. To fill a gap in capable and accessible tools, the authors present bioDYM, a flexible and open source dMFA software. On the basis of the ODYM framework, bioDYM enables low-code system modeling through the combination of stocks, flows and processes calculated with a modular system solver. Originally focused on biogenic carbon systems, bioDYM has evolved into a fully functional general-purpose dMFA software. Custom-built process logics allow the modeling of specific carbon transformation pathways such as multipool first-order decay processes and dynamic stock modeling with Weibull lifetime distributions. A Monte Carlo engine propagates parametric uncertainty. A scenario engine enables scenario comparisons within a single simulation. Results are accessible through an interactive dashboard.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Moosazadeh et al. (2026): Thermodynamic assessment of a novel liquid direct air capture system integrated with natural gas reforming for synergistic methanol production

Mohammad Moosazadeh, Hamin Kim, Shadfar Davoodi, Wafa Suwaileh, Jinwoo Park, IN: Energy Conversion and Management, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2026.121969

This study encompassed the development and evaluation of an integrated steam methane reforming (SMR)–direct air capture (DAC)–methanol system, wherein reformer-derived heat and gas streams are utilized to intensify DAC regeneration and enhance carbon supply for methanol synthesis. Four configurations, SMR–methanol, sweep gas–assisted SMR–DAC (SG–DAC), thermally coupled SMR–DAC (TC–DAC), and dual-mode SMR–DAC (DM–DAC), were assessed using a coupled thermodynamic and techno-economic framework, with reformer temperature and steam-to-carbon ratio identified as key operating variables.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Anaya et al. (2026): Net-negative emission methanol from direct air capture and water electrolysis: A comprehensive analysis of multiple energy pathways

Karina Anaya, Jubil Joy, Amit Kumar, IN: Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcou.2026.103529

Deep decarbonization requires pathways that remove CO₂ and convert it into products, yet published DAC-electrolysis-methanol studies often assume simplified CO₂/H₂ inputs and rarely compare dispatchable energy supplies under consistent techno-economic and cradle-to-gate greenhouse-gas boundaries. Here, a bottom-up analysis integrates direct air capture (DAC), alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), and CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol, and evaluates three energy-supply configurations: grid or renewable electricity with natural gas process heat (scenario 1); integration of an Allam cycle supplied with electrolytic oxygen from AWE to provide on-site power and additional CO₂ (scenario 2); and on-site electricity and heat from high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (scenario 3). Carbon pricing and uncertainty analysis are performed. Each case includes a 1 Mt-CO₂/y potassium hydroxide (KOH)-calcium (Ca) looping DAC unit, and methanol capacity varies with available CO₂ sources.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Koh-Bell et al. (2026): Bismuth-Driven Flow-Through pH Swing Architecture for Membrane-Free Electrochemical Marine Carbon Removal

Alexander Koh-Bell, Simon Rufer, Fabian J. Dickhardt, David J. Kim, Nikolaos Tsakiris, Michael P. Nitzsche, T. Alan Hatton, Kripa K. Varanasi, IN: ACS Electrochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1021/acselectrochem.6c00128

Marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through electrochemical pH swings offers an energy-efficient pathway for scalable CO₂ removal, utilizing the natural properties of seawater as a major carbon sink and conductive electrolyte. However, the implementation of such technologies has largely been limited by costly selective membrane materials. The recently established membrane-free pH swing via bismuth−bismuth oxychloride electrodes presents a promising energy-efficient approach, although demonstration has been thus far limited by modest reaction rates. Here, the authors advance this approach to industrially relevant current densities by developing a flow-through pH swing cell designed for elevated reaction rates.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Gu & Li (2026): Humid-air competitive adsorption invalidates conventional sorbent screening criteria for direct air capture

Yu Gu and Jia Li, IN: Carbon Capture Science & Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccst.2026.100672

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO₂ using solid sorbents is a key negative-emissions technology, but current systems require 5–10 GJ t⁻¹ of thermal energy for sorbent regeneration, which far exceeds the thermodynamic minimum. High-throughput computational screening of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) offers a route to identifying lower-energy sorbents, yet most screening workflows rely on molecular descriptors evaluated under idealised conditions. These descriptors do not encode the competitive, path-integrated thermodynamics of a full adsorption–desorption cycle under humid air, where co-adsorbed water dominates the energy penalty. Whether explicitly modelling nonlinear competitive CO₂/H₂O adsorption yields fundamentally different material rankings from conventional linear screening remains untested at database scale. Here the authors show, by screening 7906 CoRE-MOF-2019 structures through a proxy temperature-vacuum swing adsorption cycle coupled with binary Langmuir-IAST, that nonlinear competitive adsorption changes DAC screening outcomes: all 50 top-performing sorbents (regeneration energy 92–150 kJ mol⁻¹ CO₂) belong exclusively to the nonlinear regime and would be systematically excluded by a linear Henry-regime model.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Alasker et al. (2026): A systematic review on carbon sequestration and energy storage potential in 3D-printed low-carbon composites

Yasser Alasker, Mohamed Hechmi El Ouni and Nejib Ghazouani, IN: Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials, https://doi.org/10.1080/21650373.2026.2710211

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is transforming construction by enabling automated fabrication with minimal material waste; however, its high binder demand increases embodied carbon. This review critically examines recent advances in carbon sequestration and thermal energy storage in 3D-printed low-carbon composites, emphasizing their potential to support carbon-neutral construction. The review discusses sustainable binder systems, including limestone calcined clay cement, geopolymers, reactive magnesium oxide, and other emerging materials, together with carbonation curing, CO₂ mixing, CO₂ jetting, and carbonated recycled aggregates as effective mineralization strategies.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Patil & Khaladkar (2026): Bamboo for soil conservation and carbon sequestration: a dual approach to climate mitigation

Sonal Patil and Hrishikesh Khaladkar, IN: CAB Reviews, https://doi.org/10.5555/20260362810

Soil erosion and climate change are two interconnected environmental challenges that threaten ecosystems, agricultural productivity and global sustainability. Bamboo, a fast-growing perennial grass with dense root systems and high biomass turnover, offers a unique dual solution by stabilizing soil and sequestering carbon. This review synthesizes existing research on bamboo’s role in controlling soil erosion, enhancing soil health, and capturing carbon in above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass and soil organic carbon pools.

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Gao et al. (2026): Assessing the effects of ocean alkalinity enhancement on marine protozoa: physiological dynamics and transcriptomic responses

Zuyuan Gao, Mengwen Pang, Mingjie Li, Yuzhen Ming, Hongbin Liu and Kedong Yin, IN: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00298-26

Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is proposed as a potential tool to remove atmospheric CO₂ and mitigate climate change. However, the effects of OAE on marine protozoa remain poorly understood. In this study, the authors conducted acute and acclimated experiments on two heterotrophic nanoflagellates, i.e., Cafeteria burkhardae and Paraphysomonas longispina, to investigate their responses to two substances (NaHCO₃ and NaOH) at low (set ~2,600 µmol L⁻¹) and high (set ~4,000 µmol L⁻¹) levels, respectively.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Jaafar et al. (2026): Synergistic integration of direct air capture in bioenergy systems

Nor Syuriaty Jaafar, Norhuda Abdul Manaf, Noor Fatina Emelin Nor Fadzil and Nilay Shah, IN: Sustainable Chemical Technologies, https://doi.org/10.69997/sct.135980

The present work aims to demonstrate the synergy achieved through the integration of biomass gasification with a direct air capture (DAC) system to maximize overall CO₂ removal capacity, while simultaneously converting waste into value-added products (hydrogen) and supplying the energy required for DAC operation (BG-H₂P-DAC). The proposed configuration is modeled using Aspen Plus to investigate the synergistic interactions and key performance indicators of the BG-H₂P-DAC system. Parametric analyses are conducted by varying gasification temperature, air inlet flow rate, and amine concentration and flow rate.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Christiansen et al. (2026): Undermining climate action? Challenges of public-private co-financing of carbon removal in the Global North

Kirstine Lund Christiansen, Jonas Allesson, Guy Finkill, Nick Fitzpatrick and Inge-Merete Hougaard, IN: Environmental Science & Policy, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104447

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is increasingly seen as essential for mitigating climate change. In Global North countries like Denmark, Sweden and the UK, bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) projects have become a prominent component of national climate strategies. This perspective explores an emerging trend: the advancement of such projects through a co-financing model that combines state funding with corporate investment. While the specifics of these co-financing arrangements vary, the authors identify several risks associated with them.

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