Assessing The Viability Of Continuous Volumetric Carbon Flux Measurement For Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal

With the potential to remove 5 gigatons of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, ocean carbon dioxide removal is pivotal for achieving mid-century goals of removing 10 gigatons of atmospheric CO2 annually to limit global warming to 1.5-2°C. Yet, the lack of comprehensive measurement, reporting, and verification tools for ocean CO2 removal leaves carbon dioxide removal developers, researchers, policymakers, and carbon credit buyers without the means to fully evaluate ocean carbon dioxide removal strategies and accurately quantify removals. This information deficit obstructs informed policymaking, hinders the strategic expansion of the ocean carbon dioxide removal sector, and clouds our understanding of these interventions' sequestration performance, safety, and efficacy. The aim of Phase I is to assess the scientific and market viability of continuous volumetric carbon flux measurement for accurate and scalable measurement, reporting, and verification of ocean carbon dioxide removal. Phase I involves creating cloud-based analytics frameworks capable of transforming real-time three-dimensional sensing data into continuous volumetric carbon flux measurements, integrating these frameworks with a feasibility-study scale 3-mooring sensing system to conduct a 2-month deployment at an active ocean carbon dioxide removal project, and using the collected deployment data to run a series of studies to comprehensively assess the scientific and commercial viability of this volumetric carbon flux measurement approach for the measurement, reporting, and verification of ocean carbon dioxide removal. Phase I success would mark a significant advancement in the measurement, reporting, and verification of ocean carbon dioxide removal, providing the first scalable and accurate means of directly measuring carbon dioxide removals in the ocean. This progress sets the stage for Phase II, aimed at deploying, piloting, and refining a pilot-scale volumetric carbon flux system alongside ocean carbon dioxide removal developer partners in preparation for full-scale commercialization in Phase III. These advancements could profoundly impact the ocean carbon dioxide removal market with a carbon dioxide sequestration potential of 5 gigatons CO2/year and an estimated market value of $500 billion/year.