Frontier supports a diverse range of carbon removal approaches, including those utilizing alkalinity as a key component. The Alkalinity Sourcing Challenge specifically focuses on identifying and characterizing potential sources of alkalinity for large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
The objective is to locate the most accessible and cost-effective deposits of highly reactive rock that could collectively enable teraton-scale CDR within the next century.
This involves identifying sites with abundant deposits of minerals with sub-decadal reactivity rates in ambient air, such as brucite, portlandite, magnesia, and wollastonite.
While the precise location and extent of these mineral resources remain largely unknown, geological processes are known to facilitate the formation of significant deposits, particularly of brucite.
This challenge aims to leverage collective intelligence by crowdsourcing hypotheses for potential sites containing sufficient alkalinity to support at least one teraton of alkalinity-driven CDR.
Ten submissions meeting the specified criteria will be awarded $5,000. Evaluation will be conducted by Frontier in collaboration with independent academic experts.
Relevant: New Study Finds Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Has Minor Effect On Zooplankton
In cases where more than ten submissions meet the criteria, awards will be given to those identifying the largest deposits with the strongest supporting evidence, both theoretical and empirical.
Applications are open until January 6, 2025, and winners will be announced by the end of January. Detailed application instructions can be found on Frontier’s website.
Read more: Isometric Releases New Protocol For Wastewater Alkalinity Enhancement Carbon Removal
