Japan is set to begin an offshore blue carbon research initiative aimed at capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) using marine vegetation, Kyodo News has reported, citing government sources.
This effort seeks to support the country’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
The project will focus on sea plants like kelp and mangroves, which absorb CO2 dissolved in seawater during photosynthesis.
These plants can store more carbon than land-based vegetation, making them vital in climate change mitigation.
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Blue carbon refers to CO2 stored in marine ecosystems, while green carbon pertains to land-based storage, such as forests.
The island country’s Environment Ministry will partner with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and major oil company Eneos Corp. to study how submerged seaweed behaves in deep-sea environments.
The study will also examine the environmental impacts of this underwater carbon storage method.
Although Japan has reduced emissions through renewable energy and the restart of nuclear plants, the government aims to strengthen carbon capture efforts.
Forests currently absorb around 45 million tons of CO2 annually, but this capacity is declining due to aging trees.
In fiscal 2023, coastal plants absorbed only about 34 tons of CO2. By comparison, Japan plans to capture 1 million tons by 2035 and 2 million tons by 2040 through blue carbon technology.
“If we can demonstrate a technology to enable CO2 fixation on the seafloor, it could be a significant source of (CO2) absorption,” a senior ministry official was quoted as saying.
This initiative marks a significant step in diversifying Japan’s carbon reduction strategies and tapping into the ocean’s natural ability to sequester carbon.
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