As the world edges closer to exceeding the 1.5°C warming limit set by the 2015 Paris Agreement, the urgency to reduce greenhouse gases has never been greater. While cutting carbon emissions remains crucial, it’s clear that this alone won’t be enough to stave off the worst effects of climate change. To close the gap, scientists and innovators are increasingly turning to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies—systems designed to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere or oceans. Among these efforts, marine carbon dioxide removal (MCDR) is gaining significant attention for its potential to tackle the climate crisis on a grand scale.

In this blog, we will explore the flourishing field of marine carbon dioxide removal, its emerging technologies, and the challenges and opportunities it presents. We’ll also examine one of the leading players in this arena, Equatic, a company that is pushing the boundaries of marine carbon capture with its ambitious projects in Singapore and Quebec.

The Need for Carbon Removal: Beyond Emissions Reduction

Global carbon emissions continue to rise despite widespread awareness and policy commitments to mitigate them. The pace of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is lagging, and greenhouse gases—chief among them carbon dioxide (CO₂)—continue to accumulate in the atmosphere, driving global warming. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the world will need to remove tens of gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere annually. Current emission reduction efforts are insufficient to meet this goal.

Image Source: Ocean Visions

This reality has spurred a wave of innovation in carbon removal technologies, including both land- and ocean-based solutions. While land-based technologies like direct air capture (DAC) and carbon storage in soil or forests have been in development for years, marine-based carbon removal is a newer yet promising frontier. Oceans naturally absorb about 30% of the CO₂ emitted by human activities, making them an essential part of Earth’s carbon cycle. Companies like Equatic are now looking to leverage the oceans’ vast capacity for carbon absorption to scale up efforts to combat climate change.

Also Read: Carbon Removal Must Quadruple To Achieve Climate Goals: Researchers Warn

The Rise of Equatic: A Pioneer in Marine Carbon Capture

Equatic started as a research project at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. In just three years, it has grown into one of the most promising players in the marine carbon capture industry. With pilot projects already underway in Los Angeles and Singapore, Equatic is now planning to construct a massive carbon capture facility in Quebec, which will rival some of the largest land-based carbon removal plants in the world.

The company’s approach to marine carbon capture is innovative and relatively straightforward. Seawater is pumped into a tank, where it undergoes electrolysis—an electrical process that splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen gases. This process also produces an alkaline slurry that reacts with atmospheric CO₂, converting it into two byproducts: calcium carbonate (a white powder used in agricultural lime) and bicarbonates, which are returned to the ocean. This captured carbon is expected to remain stable for millennia, meaning it will no longer contribute to global warming.

Also Read: Carbon Capture Innovations: Are We Ready to Scale Up?

Why the Quebec Facility Matters

Equatic’s Quebec facility is set to become one of the world’s largest marine carbon capture plants, capable of processing 110,000 tonnes of carbon annually—the equivalent of removing the emissions of 24,000 cars each year. While this represents just a small fraction of the global carbon that needs to be removed to meet climate goals, it marks a significant step forward for the industry. The facility will house 300 electrolyzers, a significant jump from the 10 used in Equatic’s Singapore pilot, which captures 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

Quebec was chosen as the site for the new plant because of its access to renewable electricity and its robust decarbonization efforts. The plant is expected to be operational by 2027 and will provide critical data on the scalability of marine carbon capture technology. If successful, it could serve as a blueprint for future facilities worldwide.

The Advantages of Marine Carbon Capture

According to Edward Sanders, Equatic’s Chief Operating Officer, the company’s marine carbon removal process has several advantages over traditional carbon capture technologies. One key benefit is its relatively low energy intensity compared to direct air capture (DAC) systems, which require large amounts of energy to filter CO₂ from the atmosphere. Additionally, because Equatic conducts all measurements and carbonation on land, it is easier to track and verify how much carbon is being sequestered. This stands in contrast to other marine carbon removal approaches, such as kelp farming, where tracking carbon capture and storage is more challenging.

Kelp farming, a commonly discussed method of marine carbon dioxide removal, involves growing large amounts of seaweed to absorb CO₂ from seawater. While it is often perceived as an environmentally friendly option, Jaime Palter, an oceanographer at the University of Rhode Island, points out that it carries ecological risks. Large-scale kelp farms could deplete nutrients in the water, affecting phytoplankton populations and disrupting the marine food web. Additionally, it is harder to verify how much carbon kelp farming actually removes from the atmosphere compared to chemical methods like those employed by Equatic.

Also Read: USA May Need To Spend 100 Billion Dollars On Carbon Removal Annually

Other Key Players in the Marine Carbon Removal Space

Equatic is not the only company making strides in marine carbon removal. California-based Captura and Ebb Carbon are also working on promising projects. Captura’s process, similar to Equatic’s, uses seawater and electricity to remove CO₂. In its pilot project in Los Angeles, Captura’s technology captured CO₂ from seawater, which, when returned to the ocean, triggered additional carbon uptake from the atmosphere. The company is preparing to test its system in Hawai‘i next year, with plans to scale up to a larger commercial plant.

Ebb Carbon, another California-based company, is taking a slightly different approach. Using electrodialysis, Ebb Carbon’s technology aims to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in the ocean as bicarbonates. The company’s pilot plant in Port Angeles, Washington, is set to remove 500 tonnes of CO₂ annually over two years.

These companies are part of a growing movement to harness the power of the oceans in the fight against climate change. The potential for marine carbon removal to scale up is significant, but there are also challenges and uncertainties that need to be addressed.

Also Read: Carbon Removal Must Quadruple To Achieve Climate Goals: Researchers Warn

Addressing Concerns and Challenges

While marine carbon removal holds great promise, it is not without its risks. Environmentalists, scientists, and local communities have expressed concerns about the potential ecological impacts of these projects. Sara Nawaz, an environmental social scientist and carbon removal policy expert at American University, has surveyed residents of coastal regions, including British Columbia and Washington State, about their views on marine carbon dioxide removal. Many expressed concerns about how large-scale industrial operations could affect sensitive coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and fisheries.

Nawaz’s research highlights a key issue: the need for transparency and communication. As these projects expand, it will be essential to engage with local communities and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the potential benefits and risks. For now, the research on the environmental impact of MCDR is still in its early stages, and more studies are needed to fully understand the long-term effects of these interventions.

Also Read: Carbon Capture Viability: EPA’s Challenge To Power Plants

The Future of Marine Carbon Removal

As the world grapples with the scale of the climate crisis, marine carbon removal is emerging as one of the most promising tools in the carbon capture arsenal. However, as the fledgling industry grows, it will need to navigate a complex web of environmental, social, and technical challenges. Start-ups like Equatic, Captura, and Ebb Carbon are leading the charge, but their efforts represent just the beginning of what will be a long journey toward making marine carbon removal a mainstream solution.

According to Philip Boyd, a marine ecologist at the University of Tasmania, chemical methods of sequestering carbon in the ocean are likely the most promising approach, especially compared to biological methods like kelp farming. However, these chemical approaches are not without their own hurdles. As projects like Equatic’s Quebec facility move forward, they will provide valuable data on the feasibility and effectiveness of these methods at scale.

Ultimately, marine carbon removal is a key piece of the puzzle in the fight against climate change. While no single solution will be enough to reverse global warming, a combination of carbon capture, emission reductions, and sustainable practices will be essential. As this industry grows, it will need to balance ambition with caution, ensuring that the path forward is both scalable and environmentally responsible.

This story was originally published by Hakaimagzine