What are the most promising and innovative negative emissions technologies in cleantech and why?

DAC runs on the premise that you can cost effectively capture CO2 which is approximately 0.04% of the volume of the atmosphere. Most of the current DAC funding and technology is based on moving massive volumes of CO2 through an absorbent material. This methodology based on current material, science and cost of energy will never be economically viable. DAC should be a byproduct of current energy or manufacturing processes utilizing currently wasted energy. Manufacturing sites that already have excess BTUs, or other forms of energy can be modified to effectively capture CO2 in a more economically viable manner. Additional work also needs to be done in material sciences so that CO2 can more affectively be captured with various materials

?? Clearing the Air: The Promise of Direct Air Capture (DAC) ????? Game-changer for net-zero: DAC removes CO2 directly from the air, which is essential for achieving net-zero emissions. ???? Strong support: With $1.2B in U.S. government funding, DAC is gaining major financial backing. ?? Scalable solutions: Current DAC facilities capture thousands of tons of CO2, and advancements will boost this capacity. ???? Versatile deployment: Unlike traditional CCS, DAC can be installed anywhere, making it a flexible solution for climate action. ????

Promising negative emissions technologies in cleantech include bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air capture (DAC). BECCS utilizes plants to absorb CO2 during growth, which is then captured when biomass is burned for energy. DAC directly removes CO2 from the air. These innovations offer scalable solutions to combat climate change by actively reducing atmospheric carbon. BECCS leverages existing infrastructure, while DAC provides flexibility in deployment. Both technologies play crucial roles in achieving net-zero emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change, demonstrating the potential of cleantech to revolutionize environmental sustainability.

Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies are among the most promising and innovative negative emissions solutions in cleantech, by directly capturing carbon dioxide from the ambient air, DAC systems have the potential to remove significant amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, compensating for emissions from hard-to-abate sectors. Unlike carbon capture from point sources, DAC offers a more flexible and scalable approach, as it can be deployed in various locations without being tied to specific emission sources. Additionally, DAC can potentially produce valuable carbon-based products or enable carbon sequestration, further enhancing its environmental and economic viability.

It doesn't matter if you remove a tonne of CO2 from the atmosphere or prevent a tonne being emitted, the resulting CO2 concentration will be the same and that's also the global warming effect. The deciding factor for the deployment of dacc, apart from possibly pure R&D activity, should therefore be; 'could the resources required for deploying dacc provide greater net emissions reduction if used for a different application/technology. I would suggest the answer would be a resounding yes. The best option is not to produce the CO2 in the first instance, but capturing it from point of use fossil fuel combustion will almost certainly make far better use of current limited resources. We don't have the time for wasting resources.

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) packs a powerful one-two punch as a negative emissions technology. First, biomass crops like fast-growing trees absorb CO2 from the air as they grow, that biomass is then burned to generate clean electricity, but instead of releasing emissions, the CO2 is captured and permanently stored underground so you get renewable power while simultaneously removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere in massive quantities. BECCS essentially recycles carbon - plants pull it in, we use the plants for energy, and securely stash what's left over, with its unique ability to deliver negative emissions at scale while meeting energy needs, BECCS is a real gamechanger among cleantech innovations.

The bio carbon capture route via photosynthesis is low efficient. Due to optimizations in DNA, fast growing species are developed to capture hundreds of tons CO2 per year per hectare. The next trick is to keep te CO2 out of the air with many opportunities: - Keep more nature - Building materials, like wooden buildings and natural insulation - Chemistry with a wide spread of usage from bioplastics to pyrolysis with biochar - Biofuels with carbon capture A new way for farmers to create income instead of growing plants as feedstock for cows and pigs. Unfortunate there is now a growing political influence to keep the old way of farming due to existing businesses that want to keep their existing way of earning money.

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is a promising negative emissions technology in cleantech. Here's why it stands out: Carbon-Neutral Bioenergy: BECCS involves producing bioenergy from organic materials like plant biomass. This process is carbon-neutral, as the plants absorb CO2 during growth, offsetting emissions during energy production. Carbon Capture: BECCS captures CO2 produced during bioenergy generation, preventing it from entering the atmosphere. Permanent Storage: The captured CO2 is compressed and stored underground, ensuring it's kept out of the carbon cycle. This results in net-negative emissions, supporting global climate goals and contributing to the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

Two sectors require liquid fuels- transoceanic flights and shipping. There is sufficient biomass to supply both via a variety of biofuels routes, all of which make more sense than any attempt to combine CO2 or N2, water and electricity to make fuels. Biomass should not be wasted on stationary energy generation except perhaps in emergencies, and CO2 capture and storage from ships and aircraft is infeasible. Pyrolysis to produce char which is applied to fields and forests is ALSO a BECCS strategy- except one that has synergistic benefit. It returns inorganics to the soils and enhances soil texture while also sequestering carbon. It makes more sense than CCS.

In my Experience, Enhanced Weathering (EW) emerges as a innovative climate mitigation strategy, harnessing natural processes to absorb and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. By accelerating the natural weathering of minerals like olivine, EW promotes the absorption of CO2 and subsequent formation of stable carbonates. This method not only reduces greenhouse gas concentrations but also addresses ocean acidification. Despite its potential, challenges include scaling up operations, energy requirements, and assessing long-term environmental impacts. Collaborative research and responsible implementation are essential to unlock the full potential of Enhanced Weathering as a sustainable and effective tool in the fight against climate change.

Enhanced Weathering accelerates the natural process of removing carbon dioxide from the air through chemical reactions with calcium/magnesium-rich rocks, by increasing the surface area of these minerals exposed to air, the rate of CO2 absorption and conversion into stable carbonate compounds is greatly sped up. This low-tech approach leverages abundant mineral sources and has massive carbon capture potential. While mineral processing impacts require study, Enhanced Weathering innovatively amplifies a process nature already uses over long timescales to regulate atmospheric carbon levels.

To me, enhanced weathering seems more a scheme by which miners are paid for a natural, partially compensatory attribute of their core activity, than a legitimate negative carbon strategy. Deliberately grinding up silicate rocks JUST to sequester carbon makes no sense to me as a thermodynamicist. I'd want to see a thorough disinterested 3rd party LCA before I'll believe any net benefit exists.

Ocean alkalinity enhancement is an innovative and promising negative emissions technology in cleantech, by dispersing alkaline minerals like limestone, calcium hydroxide or silicates into the ocean, this approach increases the alkalinity of seawater. This enhances the ocean's natural ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through chemical processes, the scale of the ocean provides immense potential for removing and sequestering vast amounts of CO2 this way. Ocean alkalinity enhancement could be a powerful complement to emissions reductions and other carbon capture strategies in our fight against climate change.

Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement is a geo engineering method aimed at mitigating climate change by increasing the alkalinity of seawater. The process involves adding substances such as limestone or certain types of rock to the ocean to enhance its natural ability to absorb and store CO2 from the atmosphere. When seawater becomes more alkaline, it can absorb more CO2 from the air through a chemical process called carbon sequestration. This helps to reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, thereby mitigating the effects of climate change. There are concerns about potential ecological impacts and therefore, further scientific investigation and careful consideration of its implementation are necessary before widespread adoption.

Soil Carbon Sequestration is a process by which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored in the soil through various biological and physical mechanisms. This process plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change by reducing the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Enhancing soil carbon sequestration is considered a valuable strategy for climate change mitigation and sustainable land management. By increasing the amount of carbon stored in soils, it helps to offset CO2 emissions from human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, thus contributing to efforts to reduce global warming.

Soil carbon sequestration leverages nature's ability to capture and store carbon through plants and microbes - a low-cost, nature-based solution. Enhancing practices like no-till, cover cropping, and biochar can turn soils into massive carbon sinks, uniquely, it removes carbon while improving soil health, water retention, and crop yields - creating value. With relatively simple adoption and potential century-scale permanence, soil has transformative potential as a straightforward yet powerful negative emissions technology aligned with food security.

SCS has some incredible potential to contribute to climate targets. However, there are still some pretty big research gaps that need to be addressed, especially with regard to measurement, monitoring, and verification. This can be somewhat solved with technological innovation, especially with more advanced data systems and modeling. However, there are also issues regarding additionality, which is more difficult to gauge especially when dealing with credit systems. There needs to be more transdisciplinary research into this space, particularly the nexus between climate, soil, and economy.

Smart agriculture approach that require - reduced-till and no-till practices, and cover crops could be a good source for soil carbon sequestration. A direct emission reduction. Another way is to reduce the use of fertizers - indirect emission reduction.

Trees remove CO2 from the air and store the carbon in their biomass with significant ecosystem benefits. They take ~20 years to mature when their carbon capture efficiency is highest and can store the carbon through their life (~100 years). From a climate change perspective, the biggest challenge is that when trees decay or burn, they re-release this stored CO2 back into the atmosphere. Thus, they dont provide a 'permanent' carbon removal option.

A great example of how A/R has succeeded is in Bhutan, which achieved Net-Zero emissions since 2016, primarily through maintaining 71% forest cover. However, there are developmental pressures that put this Net-Zero status in danger, primarily through natural resource extraction as the country grows. Similarly, climate change also has a direct impact to forest cover, particularly through flooding events caused by glacial lake outbursts. As Bhutan and other nations develop, A/R and forests should not simply be looked at through a carbon and financial perspective, but through a more holistic lens that values ecosystem services, societal benefits, and biodiversity.

Add to that the negative emissions needed - required forest over compete with food security. So while plantation and afforestation remain the important item parallel tech is needed. Forest fires are on the rise and given risen temperatures the trend is expected to go up so with hurricanes and flash floods and droughts.

Afforestation and reforestation involve planting trees in new areas or replanting in deforested zones, harnessing the natural ability of trees to absorb and store carbon dioxide. These practices are innovative negative emissions technologies because they are simple, cost-effective, scalable, and offer co-benefits like habitat restoration and soil conservation. With their global accessibility and potential for immediate implementation, afforestation and reforestation represent promising approaches to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration as part of a comprehensive climate solution.

Biochar is a standout among negative emissions technologies due to its dual benefits for climate mitigation and soil health. Produced from organic waste through pyrolysis, biochar sequesters carbon for centuries to millenia while enriching soil fertility, offering a sustainable waste management solution. Its integration with soil carbon sequestration techniques improves soil water retention and nutrient cycling, boosting crop yields and resilience. By combining waste reduction, carbon capture, and agricultural enhancement, biochar is a promising, innovative solution in cleantech for tackling climate change effectively. A shame it's not featured higher up in this section :)

To me, Direct Air Capture (DAC) and BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) stand out as promising and innovative solutions. DAC actively removes CO2 directly from the atmosphere, offering immense potential for large-scale carbon removal. Advancements in DAC technology, such as enhanced sorbents and more efficient processes, make it a front-runner in achieving net-negative emissions. BECCS, on the other hand, combines sustainable bioenergy production with carbon capture and storage, effectively pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere. Utilizing organic materials for energy and then sequestering the emitted carbon, BECCS not only addresses emissions but also aligns with circular economy principles.

Community solar, while not traditionally classified as a negative emissions technology, can significantly reduce a community's carbon footprint by providing access to clean solar energy, fostering sustainability awareness, and encouraging a shift away from fossil fuels. Its integrated educational programs and potential for additional sustainability features contribute to a holistic approach to environmental stewardship, indirectly supporting the goal of achieving net-negative emissions.