Everest Carbon has launched a first-of-its-kind live monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) tool to track the carbon removal effect of enhanced rock weathering (ERW) systems.
The company has unveiled an innovative alkalinity sensor that provides a direct measurement method for ERW, presenting a scalable and affordable solution that has the potential to revolutionize this decarbonization sector.
This major advancement comes as the company locks in a $3M financial influx provided by a cohort of investors, including Carbon Removal Partners, Ponderosa Ventures, and the Carbon Drawdown Initiative.
As stated by Everest Carbon, the newly acquired financial stimulus will allow them to focus on commercializing the novel MRV sensor, as they work on delivering a reliable tool that could accelerate the adoption of ERW-based carbon removal in the global fight against climate change.
Enhanced rock weathering encompasses the process of spreading silicate rock dust on agricultural land, where it collects atmospheric CO2, converting it into durably stored carbonate alkalinity while simultaneously promoting soil health and boosting crop yields.
As with many other carbon removal technologies, ERW too faces the problem of credible monitoring of results to be able to scale to globally climate-relevant levels.
Faced with this issue, the Everest Carbon team developed a patent-pending sensor technology that has the ability to reliably quantify the additional carbonate alkalinity generated through ERW on location.
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The innovative sensor utilizes a specialized ion exchange resin that selectively absorbs carbonate alkalinity while water goes through its measurement cell, proceeding to digitize the system’s chemical parameters for real-time transmission to the cloud.
This technology not only addresses the monitoring transparency in ERW, but it also enables a tenfold reduction in measurement expenses, as it provides a viable alternative to employing teams for labor-intensive sample collection and lab analysis.
By employing trustworthy material science, this scalable digital sensor developed by Everest could spur a new wave of verifiable, data-driven CO2 removals.
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