CO₂-removal News

AlDossary et al. (2024): Design of Biochar Based Adsorber (Bio-Sorb) for Direct Carbon Capture

Nouf AlDossary, Fatimah AlKhowildi, Jory Mayoof, Kawthar AlHajji; Mukarram Zubair, Ismail Anil IN: International Petroleum Technology Conference, https://doi.org/10.2523/IPTC-24550-EA

The aim of this work is to investigate the potential of biochar derived from Saudi Arabia’s agricultural waste for CO2 capture. The biochar-CO2 adsorber (bio-sorb) system is designed and tested for direct carbon capture for sustainable mitigation of climate change. The CO2 adsorber design results demonstrated that in order to achieve maximum CO2 adsorption the most appropriate design parameter are gas flowrate (100 mL/min) and, biochar particle size (0.35 mm), and temperature (25°C). 

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Chapter: Carbon Balance in Educational Institutions: Greenhouse Gases Emission and Carbon Removal Inventory

Lauana Blenda Silva, Thaís de Almeida Rocha, Thaynara Pereira Albuquerque, Valéria de Fatima Silva, Mariany Filipini de Freitas, Laércio Antônio Gonçalves Jacovine IN: The Contribution of Universities Towards Education for Sustainable Development, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49853-4_20

The aim of this study is to present a proposal for standardizing guidelines to allow educational institutions to prepare their GHG inventory, and if necessary, to neutralize their GHG emissions. The work was based on theoretical information about the GHG inventory elaboration methodologies and practical experiences lived by the authors. The main contribution was a guide for the management of GHG emissions, in addition to showing what is done at the EI, especially at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), through the “Carbono Zero UFV” Program.

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Schmitz & Kraft (2024): Pilot scale photobioreactor system for land-based macroalgae cultivation

Tonia Annick Schmitz, Eckhard Kraft IN: Journal of Applied Phycology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-021-02617-7

The aim was to develop a closed photobioreactor system enabling full control of abiotic environmental parameters and an effective reconditioning of the cultivation medium in order to produce marine macroalgae at sites distant from the shore. To assess the feasibility and functionality of the chosen technological concept, a prototypal plant has been implemented in central Germany – a site distant from the sea. Using a newly developed, submersible LED light source, cultivation experiments with Ulva intestinalis led to growth rates of 7.72 ± 0.04 % day−1 in a cultivation cycle of 28 days.

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Li et al. (2024): Carbon removal, sequestration and release by mariculture in an important aquaculture area, China

Wei Li, Xu Li, Chi Song, Guang Gao IN: Science of The Total Environment 927, 172272, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172272

In this paper, carbon removal, release and sequestration by maricultured seaweeds, shellfish and fish in Shandong Province during 2003–2022 were assessed using a comprehensive method that considers the processes of biological metabolism, seawater chemistry and carbon footprint.

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López et al. (2024): Indoor CO2 direct air capture and utilization: Key strategies towards carbon neutrality

L.R. López, P. Dessì, A. Cabrera-Codony, L. Rocha-Melogno, N.J.R. Kraakman, M.D. Balaguer, S. Puig IN: Cleaner Engineering and Technology 20, 100746, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2024.100746

One application of DAC is indoor CO2 direct air capture (iCO2-DAC). A wide range of materials with unique properties for CO2 capture have been investigated, including porous materials, zeolites, and metal-organic frameworks. This review article highlights the importance of iCO2-DAC to improve indoor air quality in buildings and boost the circular economy. It discusses the available carbon capture technologies and materials, discussing their properties and focusing on those potentially applicable to indoor environments.

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Salekin et al. (2024): Carbon sequestration potential of plantation forests in New Zealand – no single tree species is universally best

Serajis Salekin, Yvette L. Dickinson, Mark Bloomberg, Dean F. Meason IN: Carbon Balance and Management 19, 11, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13021-024-00257-1

Plantation forests are a nature-based solution to sequester atmospheric carbon and, therefore, mitigate anthropogenic climate change. The choice of tree species for afforestation is subject to debate within New Zealand. Two key issues are whether to use (1) exotic plantation species versus indigenous forest species and (2) fast growing short-rotation species versus slower growing species. In addition, there is a lack of scientific knowledge about the carbon sequestration capabilities of different plantation tree species, which hinders the choice of species for optimal carbon sequestration. This paper contributes to this discussion by simulating carbon sequestration of five plantation forest species, Pinus radiataPseudotsuga menziesiiEucalyptus fastigataSequoia sempervirens and Podocarpus totara, across three sites and two silvicultural regimes by using the 3-PG an ecophysiological model.

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Günther et al. (2024): Carbon farming, overestimated negative emissions and the limits to emissions trading in land-use governance: the EU carbon removal certification proposal

Philipp Günther, Beatrice Garske, Katharine Heyl, Felix Ekardt IN: Environmental Sciences Europe 36, 72, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-024-00892-y

This article conducts a qualitative governance analysis of the European Commission’s 2022 proposal for a certification framework for carbon removals (CRCF). It highlights potential challenges and legal implications—with a specific focus on carbon farming.

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Master’s thesis: Social Marginal Abatement Cost of Negative Emissions: Incorporating Externalities into the Private Costs of Carbon Dioxide Removal

Anna Havukainen, University of Helsinki, http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:hulib-202404091663

The objective of this thesis was to identify the Negative Emission Technologies and Practices (NETPs) that yield the lowest social costs, thereby providing insights into which NETPs should be prioritized for investments in CDR. This evaluation was conducted by developing a Social Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (SMACC) framework, to examine the potentials and social costs of various NETPs. 

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Mwaura et al. (2024): Do smallholders have a role to play in atmospheric greenhouse gas removal? Insights from western Kenya

Francis M. Mwaura, Margaret W. Ngigi, Gideon Obare IN: Scientific African 24, e02206, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02206

Despite consensus by the international community on the need for setting targets for reducing emissions or enhancing removal of greenhouse gases, comprehensive strategies for enumerating smallholders’ roles are yet to be designed and tested. Moreover, although smallholders’ role as net greenhouse gas removers has been speculated, evidence of this fact is necessary. A survey of 380 smallholders involved in maize-farming system in four sub-counties of western Kenya representing heterogeneity in agro-ecological zones and postulated biomass cooking energy access and demand was undertaken. 

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