Carbon Removal Projects : Friday saw a major DOE announcement. It promised Texas and Louisiana projects over $1 billion in government funding. These projects, which aim to eliminate over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, advance direct air capture (DAC) technology.
This initiative selected two primary projects. One is “Project Cypress,” a Battelle, Climeworks Corporation, and Heirloom Carbon Technologies collaboration. Louisiana hosts it. Kleberg County’s South Texas DAC Hub follows. Oxy’s 1PointFive, Carbon Engineering Ltd., and Worley lead it.
The DOE has also stated goals to lower the cost of DAC technology to less than $100 per net metric ton of CO2-equivalent by the end of the decade. A $35 million government proposal to acquire goods and services for carbon reduction credits is one example. 14 viability studies and 5 engineering and design studies on early hub projects have been funded.
Climate change is worsening and pollution is not being reduced enough, making carbon removal more important. To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, UN experts recommend removing billions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year.
The DOE believes that large-scale DAC use might help the U.S. eliminate carbon gases by 2050. Costs must drop quickly for this technology to have worldwide impact.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm stated, “If we deploy this on a large scale, it can help us make significant progress toward our net-zero emissions goals while we continue to focus on deploying, deploying, and deploying more clean energy.”
The Energy Department’s first investments since the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which granted $3.5 billion to regional DAC centres, must be negotiated.
Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) CEO Vicki Hollub said the center could remove 30 million tons of CO2 annually when fully operational. She said the project shows the company is ready, has the proper technological expertise, and can utilise Oxy’s experience with huge projects.
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Direct air capture removes CO2 through chemical processes. Carbon extracted can be buried or utilized to produce jet fuel or concrete. Major player Climeworks aims to establish its hub gradually. It seeks 1 million tons per year by 2030.
Climeworks Director and Founder Jan Wurzbacher discussed operations. “It depends on a lot of things, but I’d like the first capture to happen in 2025 or 2026.” Heirloom CEO Shashank Samala wanted a million tons per year by 2029 or 2030.
Samala said the business has advanced quickly. They progressed from eliminating grams of CO2 to handling tons and expect to handle hundreds of thousands of tons per year.
Both CEOs indicated that permission time was crucial to project success.
Even though many environmental groups agree that carbon removal is vital to reach global climate targets, firms may exploit carbon removal development to justify fossil fuel production, especially in minority and low-income areas.
This comes three months before the COP28 climate meeting, where the host country, the UAE, is anticipated to emphasize carbon removal technologies.
In another event this month, ADNOC, the UAE’s national oil company, and Occidental committed to invest in DAC in the US and worldwide.
The U.S. leads in carbon removal, according to Carbon180’s Erin Burns. “This is any country’s first major federal investment in carbon removal,” she said. The US invests much on this technology.
Valerie Volcovici researched. Susanna Twidale and Peter Henderson also researched. Gerry Doyle, Susan Fenton, and Jonathan Oatis edited the piece.
Our Reader’s Queries
What is the best way to remove carbon?
Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere can be achieved through nature-based or technology-based methods. The most common natural approaches include planting trees and restoring or conserving forests. On the other hand, direct air capture (DAC) is a technology-based strategy that involves removing carbon dioxide directly from the air. These two methods are the main strategies for carbon dioxide removal, as stated in a 2020 report by the World Resources Institute.
What are the strategies for carbon removal?
There are various methods to tackle carbon emissions, ranging from natural approaches like tree restoration and agricultural soil management to more advanced technological solutions like direct air capture and carbon mineralization. Other options include biomass with carbon removal and sequestration, as well as ocean-based carbon removal. By utilizing these methods, we can work towards reducing our carbon footprint and mitigating the effects of climate change.
What are the innovations of carbon removal?
Biomass with Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) is a process that harnesses the natural ability of biomass to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere during growth. This is achieved through combustion or other conversion processes, coupled with carbon capture and storage (bioCCS). Alternatively, the biomass can be used to create bio-based products that permanently sequester CO2. BiCRS is an innovative solution that helps to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
What is the most successful carbon capture project?
Petra Nova, situated in Texas, USA, is a highly prosperous carbon capture initiative that has gained global recognition. The project, which commenced in 2017, is a joint venture between NRG Energy and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration.