Author
Carbon to Sea Initiative
June 18th, Halifax, NS, Canada – Today the Carbon to Sea Initiative (C2S) and COVE are announcing a Joint Learning Opportunity (HERE).
The opportunity is designed to attract and support scientists conducting research and companies piloting new technology for emerging ocean-based carbon dioxide removal solutions. It brings together philanthropic, private sector, and academic partners to accelerate learning and minimize the logistical and financial hurdles that scientific research programs sometimes face.
Funding will increase research and development (R&D) to advance monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) and support the evaluation of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) for ongoing field research trials taking place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Today’s announcement builds on the existing collaboration between Planetary and researchers from the Dalhousie University contingent of the Ocean Alk-Align research team led by researcher Dr. Katja Fennel.
Teams will be invited to advance research focused on answering scientific, technical and social questions around the feasibility of ocean alkalinity enhancement during the trial period of August to December. This Joint Learning Opportunity will provide additional resources to new research teams to maximize the opportunity to test, trial and observe the impacts of an alkalinity addition that is already planned, thereby increasing its impact, reach and economic efficiencies to the field.
“Our mission at Carbon to Sea is to assess the viability and desirability of ocean alkalinity enhancement, a high-potential carbon dioxide removal approach that could be a necessary complement to dramatic emissions reductions,” said Dr. Antonius Gagern, Executive Director of the Carbon to Sea Initiative. “This new research opportunity is another important step forward in that effort. We are excited to partner with COVE, Planetary and researchers from the Dalhousie University contingent of the Ocean Alk-Align consortium to bring this opportunity to Halifax.”
This opportunity builds on and will complement an existing, major grant from Carbon to Sea. In 2023, Carbon to Sea provided an $11M USD grant to the global Ocean Alk-Align team, a consortium of five universities, including Dalhousie University, and a $1M USD grant to Planetary to develop a safe dosing mechanism for alkalinity delivery.
Building on results from their research in Fall 2023, researchers will continue to measure whether alkalinity can increase the ocean’s potential to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions in safe, permanent and effective ways. New organizations will join them to help answer additional scientific, technical and social questions about the impact and efficacy of OAE.
COVE and its marine terminal, located in Halifax on the edge of the world's second largest harbor, provide industrial-level operation facilities, programming, and staff to support over 65 organizations. COVE is strategically designed to unite the strengths of academic institutions, private sector innovators, technical nonprofits, and global research funding organizations. This unique mission accelerates the timeline for learning, discovery, and programs by fostering a nimble and collaborative environment.
“Post-secondary researchers, technology companies and marine-based service organizations come to COVE to turn ideas into commercial solutions,” said Melanie Nadeau, CEO, COVE. “Given leading scientific organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have identified oCDR as an important potential climate solution, we are pleased to partner with Carbon to Sea, the leading initiative evaluating ocean alkalinity enhancement, to advance OAE-focused R&D in Halifax, Nova Scotia.”
Dr. Katja Fennel, Chair of Dalhousie’s Department of Oceanography and Ocean Alk-Align’s lead principal investigator, facilitates collaborations between Dalhousie University and a global team from some of the world’s foremost centres of ocean research, including GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Hamburg University in Germany, and the University of Tasmania and Southern Cross University in Australia.
“Our research consortium is tackling three of the most pressing research issues related to OAE: the efficiency and permanence of CO2 removal, its environmental risks and potential benefits, and the monitoring and verification of CO2 uptake,” said Dr. Katja Fennel. “We have made significant progress through our field trials in Halifax to date and have co-created this Joint Learning Opportunity with Carbon to Sea and COVE to invite more researchers to maximize the opportunity the 2024 trials may present.”
Planetary, whose approach to ocean carbon removal is being studied by Dalhousie researchers, has been highlighted in Science Magazine and is a contender for the prestigious XPRIZE. Planetary aims to safely and permanently remove carbon from the atmosphere by adding safe, alkaline materials into the ocean. Their approach may also offer the benefit of locally reducing ocean acidification.
“The world is at an intersection where government policy, scientific advancement, technological mastery and market forces need to come together to assess and advance ocean-based carbon removal solutions,” said Mike Kelland, CEO, Planetary. “The fact that Carbon to Sea and COVE are coming together to support this Joint Learning Opportunity is an important step forward for those of us pursuing climate solutions in Halifax, which is emerging as a global hub for innovative work like this.”
About Carbon to Sea: Home - Carbon to Sea Initiative
About Ocean Alk-align: Ocean Alk Align Homepage
About Planetary Technologies: Home - Planetary Technologies
About COVE: Home - COVE (coveocean.com)
Have a question about submitting a proposal? Watch a recording of our info session webinar
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