A group of scientists, in collaboration with Ebb Carbon, has published a new study that maps out potentially suitable locations for deploying electrochemical ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) projects in Australia.
The team built a model that outlines Australia’s coastline and evaluates relevant conditions to show where OAE technology has the best chance of working.
Using a geographic information system model that was applied across a 2 km coastal study extent, the researchers applied seven spatial factors: ocean conditions, logistics, distance to the coast, cost of energy, energy carbon intensity, desalination infrastructure, and acid disposal.
Results showed that 8% of the assessed area met the criteria to be considered as potentially deployable, while 0.1% of the examined territory was classified as highly suitable.
These results provide a valuable guide on priority electrochemical OAE deployment sites, identifying candidate regions for more detailed location-specific assessment.
Ocean alkalinity enhancement is a marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) pathway in which alkaline substances are released in seawater to increase water alkalinity and boost the uptake of CO2.
When the alkaline substances react with dissolved CO2 they create bicarbonates, a stable form of inorganic carbon that remains stored in the ocean for millennia, enabling long-term carbon dioxide sequestration.
What the OAE study entailed
As part of the research on suitable OAE deployment sites in Australia, the team used a model that evaluated locations against a set of criteria, ranking them on a scale from 0 to 10.
Although the scale included a wider range, the research team shares that the study generated results that only ranged between 2 and 8. In that regard, 0.1% of the considered sites achieved a grade of 8, showing the highest suitability.
Relevant: Carbon To Sea And Collaborators Publish A New OAE Data Management Protocol
The five regions identified to have high OAE suitability are the Midwest region of Western Australia, the Limestone Coast of South Australia, and Orbost, the Northern Bellarine Peninsula, and Port Fairy and Warrnambool in Victoria.
While these regions cannot be visualized effectively on a national level, the research team did create an illustration of key areas of interest on the Australian coastline.
Further information on this study is available here.
Read more: Carbon To Sea Launches Two New OAE Calls For Proposals
