The Carbon Removal XPrize challenge aims to fight climate change and rebalance Earth’s carbon cycle. To complete this, the challenge is to encourage the development of technology capable of removing carbon dioxide from our air. Technology plays a big role in managing and removing carbon emissions. With the development of carbon-removable technology, we can avoid the worst effects of climate change.
There are many current ways technology can help with the carbon emission problem our planet is facing. For example, multiple organizations are using direct air capture, which is an approach in which mechanical systems capture carbon dioxide and compress it to be injected into geological storage or used in products such as cement. With the development and furthering of carbon removal technology, processes like this can be easily done in a safe way in order to not risk more carbon dioxide in our environment. Businesses have created modular direct air capture units that gather carbon dioxide from the air. This approach was successful because it allowed for the carbon to be captured and repurposed in an eco-friendly way.
In addition to direct air capture, organizations are using BECCS, also known as bioenergy, with carbon capture and storage. BECCS is a technique that depends on two different technologies: biomass and carbon capture. Biomass is converted into bioenergy such as heat or gas fuels, and the carbon emissions from the bioenergy conversion are captured and embedded or stored in products. Although biomass draws carbon from the atmosphere as it grows and can be a negative emission technology when it is implemented well, care must be taken to ensure that emissions do not outweigh the captured carbon. This approach is successful in some ways, but only on smaller scales. With large-scale adoption of BECCS, risks such as air pollution and biodiversity loss could raise food prices and raise concerns about geologic storage.
With the use of both direct air approaches and sequestration via mineralization, carbon dioxide can be captured and repurposed. By far, this system has the lowest peer-reviewed cost of any direct air capture system in the world. The website explains how Heirloom captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by accelerating the properties of rocks. The rocks are placed in an engineered system that maximizes the surface area of the minerals exposed to the atmosphere. The Carbfix process injects water-dissolved CO2 and turns it into stone underground in under two years. Technology imitates and accelerates the natural processes, which provide a permanent and safe carbon dioxide solution.
With the encouragement of developing technology that is capable of removing carbon dioxide emissions, financial support is needed. Money and financial support are critical in order to further carbon removal technologies and research on carbon dioxide removal that is safe for our environment. XPrize, on which this challenge is listed, is a great way for people to collaborate on a topic or challenge that affects us all.
1. “6 Ways to Remove Carbon Pollution from the Atmosphere,” the World Resources Institute’s article, explains the many ways CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere. As well as the different technologies to remove carbon from our air, such as direct air capture. The article also explains the many different strategies that don’t necessarily include the use of technology.
Link: https://www.wri.org/insights/6-ways-remove-carbon-pollution-sky
2. “Carbon dioxide removal: our service to fight global warming” Clime works article explains direct air capture and storage technology that permanently removes CO2 from the air. As well. The article explains why carbon removal is important for our environment and how it helps fight global warming. Additionally it adds information about unavoidable and historical carbon emissions. In addition, the article offers their research and their services to remove carbon.
Link: https://climeworks.com/carbon-removal-as-a-solution-to-fight-global-warming
3. “Fact Sheet: BECCS” American University’s article explains bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. The article explains the co-benefits, concerns, potential costs, technological readiness, etc. As well, explains governance considerations such as life cycle analysis and agricultural policies. To summarize, the article offers research on capturing and storing the carbon that is in our air.
4. “Fact Sheet: Direct Air Capture” American University’s article explains what direct air capture is and how it captures carbon dioxide. The article explains the concerns such as high energy demand and concerns about geologic storage. Additionally, the article explains how direct air capture potential could be large due to needing less land, thus avoiding the need for extensive pipelines. To summarize, the article offers research on how direct air capture can be an approach to carbon removal.
Link: https://www.american.edu/sis/centers/carbon-removal/fact-sheet-direct-air-capture.cfm
5. “Rocking CO2 for a livable planet” Arca Climate’s website explains how climate change can be reversed with the capture and storing of CO2. As well, the website explains Arca’s technique and how they capture and store CO2 permanently. Arca speeds up the natural process of carbon mineralization and keeps a light footprint while supporting the clean energy transition.
Link: https://arcaclimate.com/
6. “Climate Change Mitigation” Plantvillage’s website explains their focus on helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. As well as capturing and durably removing carbon at scale with farmers. The website explains the techniques they use to capture carbon, such as no-till agriculture, the use of cover crops for soil-carbon sequestration, and agroforestry practices that increase biomass and carbon capture with the use of trees on farms.
Link: https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/carbon-capture-project/infos
7. “Restoring balance to our atmosphere” Heirloom’s website explains how their company will combine both direct air capture approach and sequestration via mineralization to remove/ capture carbon emissions.
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