Carbon Alert - Carbon Removal Systems
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates the global community must remove up to1000 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (GtCO2) by 2100 to limit warming to no more than 1.5°C. 1
To reach this goal, large scale Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) projects must annually remove 5-10 GtCO2 by midcentury. Achieving this goal will require rapid scale-up and deployment of all viable CDR methods.2
Biomass Engineered Carbon Removal (BiCRS) is an accelerated nature based peat processing technology capable of removing and storing CO2 from the atmosphere in the soil. The mechanical, chemical, biomass growing speed, cutting and soil injection technology are extremely fast scalable with the lowest cost of processing of all current CDR systems. The lifecycle of the removed carbon is extremely long, based on additives controlling the PH controlled peat surroundings.
The technology is estimated to capture up to 300 tons of CO2 land sink per hectare per year (depending on weather factors)
This project will investigate a system used to store the biomass under the surface at a depth under the roots of the plant and preserve it like peat, stopping the bacteria growth by blocking the oxygen and manipulating the PH. This project will work together with an external partner - Carbon Alert as well as the development of a pilot project on the UT Campus.
1. https://www.ipcc.ch/working-group/wg3/
2. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/accdba
This overall project is a Proof of Concept - and there are many different methodologies which may apply. This can be discussed in collaboration with the successful student.
One potential methodology could be: Butterfly Framework (Bos, H.L.; de Haas, W.; Jongschaap, R.E. The Butterfly Framework for the Assessment of Transitions towards a Circular and Climate Neutral Society. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1516.)
For further background on the technology and company see - https://carbon-alert.com
This type of carbon dioxide removal technique is subject to being analysed across the three core knowledge areas of Spatial Engineering. Of particular interest for the Spatial Engineering student would be to research this technology deployment from a wicked problem framework taking into perspective the complex policy interactions of CDR within the overall aims to reduce carbon in the atmosphere, the technical uncertainties with respect to the effectiveness of the technology as well as the spatial implications for delivery of this project in different geographies. One of these three could also be the focus, while also understanding it it within this context.