Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is one approach for using the world’s oceans to mitigate both global CO2-driven climate change and local impacts of ocean acidification. Through an ambitious partnership between the University of Washington (UW), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (NOAA-PMEL), Ebb Carbon, and the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) we are performing first of its kind testing of a large scale OAE system developed by Ebb Carbon deployed at PNNL’s Sequim campus. We are performing a variety of experiments and model simulations aimed at understanding how effectively the technology sequesters atmospheric CO2, how ecosystems respond to OAE, and how to feasibly scale this type of marine carbon dioxide removal approach. This work is currently being supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, Climate Works and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program.

For more information on this project see a recent press release.

For more information on marine carbon dioxide removal research at PNNL, visit our mCDR website.