This week’s publication highlights relate to marine carbon removal, bio-based carbon capture and utilization and enhanced rock weathering.
Comparative Assessment of United States Coastal Hubs for Large Scale Electrochemical Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal
Abstract
Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is essential to meet climate targets and limit global warming. Oceans already absorb a large share of carbon dioxide, and electrochemical methods can strengthen this process by treating seawater to increase its storage capacity. Here, we identify locations along the United States coastline that can support large-scale deployment of such systems. Thirty-eight facilities with seawater intake, including power plants, desalination plants, and liquefied natural gas terminals, are grouped into five hubs: Northeast, Southeast, South, West, and Northwest. A decision-making framework evaluates each hub based on removal capacity, cost, energy mix, local emissions, community vulnerability, facility diversity, and supporting infrastructure. The South, West, and Northeast hubs rank highest for deployment because they combine strong removal potential, affordability, and infrastructure readiness. This framework provides a practical tool for selecting priority sites and guiding technology development and policy for ocean-based carbon dioxide removal.
Refaie, A. et al. (2026) Comparative Assessment of United States Coastal Hubs for Large Scale Electrochemical Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal 33 (1) Communications Sustainability.
Read the full paper here: Comparative Assessment of United States Coastal Hubs for Large Scale Electrochemical Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal I Communications Sustainability.
Carbon Removal from the Ocean by Bivalve Aquaculture: A Global View
Abstract
Bivalve aquaculture, a potential carbon sink (FCS), enhances oceanic CO2 absorption to mitigate climate change. Prior studies, primarily in China, lack a global perspective. Using an updated carbon budget model, this study finds scallops and oysters have the highest removal potential, with oysters being the most farmed. From 2010 to 2022, global bivalve aquaculture production increased by 53%, driving a 42% increase in net oceanic carbon removal from 0.91 to 1.29 million tonnes. The current oceanic carbon removal by bivalve aquaculture is comparable to the carbon sequestration provided by 0.32 million hectares of afforestation per year, and this figure is expected to grow continuously in the future. This study offers a comprehensive overview of global trends in the oceanic carbon removal for bivalve aquaculture. Additionally, it also highlights existing research gaps and outlines priorities for future research to enhance the accuracy of carbon removal estimations in bivalve aquaculture system.
Tan, K. et al. (2026) Carbon Removal from the Ocean by Bivalve Aquaculture: A Global View 114972 iScience.
Read the full paper here: Carbon Removal from the Ocean by Bivalve Aquaculture: A Global View I iScience.
Bio-Based Carbon Capture and Utilization Opportunities in Poland: A Preliminary Assessment
Abstract
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) play an increasingly important role in climate mitigation strategies by addressing industrial emissions and enabling pathways toward net-negative emissions. A key challenge lies in determining the pathway of captured CO2, whether through permanent geological storage or conversion into value-added products to enhance system viability. As hard-to-abate sectors and the power industry remain major sources of emissions, a comprehensive assessment of the technical, environmental, and economic performance of CCUS pathways is essential. This study evaluates bioenergy with carbon capture and storage/utilization (BECCUS) in the context of the Polish energy sector. Techno-environmental performance was assessed across three pathways: CO2 storage in saline formations, CO2 mineralization, and methanol synthesis. The results show levelized costs of 59.9 EUR/tCO2,in for storage, 109.7 EUR/tCO2,in for mineralization, and 631.1 EUR/tCO2,in for methanol production. Corresponding carbon footprints (including full chain emissions) were −936.4 kgCO2-eq/tCO2,in for storage, −460.6 kgCO2-eq/tCO2,in in for mineralization, and 3963.4 kgCO2-eq/tCO2,in for methanol synthesis. These values highlight the trade-offs between economic viability and climate performance across utilization and storage options. The analysis underscores the potential of BECCS to deliver net-negative emissions and supports strategic planning for CCUS deployment in Poland.
Strojny, M. et al. (2026) Bio-Based Carbon Capture and Utilization Opportunities in Poland: A Preliminary Assessment 19 (2) Energies.
Read the full paper here: Bio-Based Carbon Capture and Utilization Opportunities in Poland: A Preliminary Assessment I Energies
Scaling Up Enhanced Rock Weathering for Equitable Climate Change Mitigation
Abstract
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is an emerging approach to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while improving soil health and crop productivity. Yet its long-term climate impact remains uncertain due to limited understanding of how adoption will evolve across regions, income groups, and in response to a warming world. Here, we combine historical analogs of technological diffusion with a coupled human–nature feedback model to provide spatially explicit projections of global ERW adoption through 2100. We develop five scenarios reflecting varying levels of policy ambition, societal responsiveness, and implementation capacity. Our results indicate that ERW could remove 0.35-0.76 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year by 2050, and 0.7-1.1 gigatons per year by 2100, with divergent outcomes across scenarios. While high-income countries lead in early deployment, countries like India and Brazil will overtake them by mid-century driven by accelerated uptake and favorable biophysical conditions. The share of carbon removal from low- and lower-middle-income countries is projected to rise from 20–29% in 2040 to ~60% by 2100. These findings highlight ERW’s potential contributions climate mitigation and a more inclusive and equitable transition. By modeling varying responses to climate risk, we underscore how societal dynamics can shape equitable decarbonization pathways globally.
Tu, Y. et al. (2026) Scaling Up Enhanced Rock Weathering for Equitable Climate Change Mitigation 32 (1) Communications Sustainability.
Read the full paper here: Scaling Up Enhanced Rock Weathering for Equitable Climate Change Mitigation I Communications Sustainability.
Soil Structure and Mixing Controls on Water-Rock Contact: Implications for Enhanced Weathering
Abstract
Enhanced weathering (EW), the addition of finely ground silicate rock powder (RP) to soil, has emerged as a promising carbon removal strategy. However, quantifying weathering rates in soils remains challenging, as most continuum-scale EW models do not adequately account for the fraction of RP surface area (SA) that is wet at a given soil moisture and thus actively weathering. Here, we study how soil pore structure, RP particle size distribution, and RP mixing degree within the soil control water-rock contact. Using a soil-physics-based framework, we derive a scaling factor that quantifies the wet fraction of RP SA as a function of soil moisture and mixing degree within soil pores. This scaling factor varies nonlinearly with soil moisture for typical soil pore structures and RP particle size distributions, countering previous zero-order (independent of soil moisture) or linear assumptions. The scaling factor evolves dynamically with hydrological fluctuations and, for a given pore structure and RP mixing degree, it can span nearly two orders of magnitude with changes in median particle size. To illustrate its application, we integrate the derived scaling factor into the Soil Model for Enhanced Weathering and examine the sensitivity of simulated weathering fluxes to mixing degree under otherwise identical conditions. Under low mixing, results show that average weathering rates are roughly two orders of magnitude lower than under perfect mixing over 1 year of application. Our work provides a mechanistic, computationally efficient framework for representing water-rock contact in soil, offering a pathway to improve continuum-scale EW models.
Anand, S. et al. (2026) Soil Structure and Mixing Controls on Water-Rock Contact: Implications for Enhanced Weathering 62 (2) Water Resources Research.
Read the full paper here: Soil Structure and Mixing Controls on Water-Rock Contact: Implications for Enhanced Weathering I Water Resources Research.