By Carbon to Sea Initiative
Last year, Carbon to Sea and a number of partners began building a research hub for ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) in Hvalfjörður, Iceland – which will advance exploration of the efficiency, safety, and potential climate impact of OAE through field research. The site in Iceland joins a growing network of field research sites that will help to increase field research quantity and quality through shared infrastructure, best in class governance, and transparent knowledge sharing.
With developing plans for OAE research in the summer of 2025, the team is opening up the site for partnership with outside scientists through a Joint Learning Opportunity in order to increase the breadth of research.
Why Iceland?
Iceland’s outsized contributions to climate innovation and the distinctive physical characteristics of their fjords make it uniquely suitable for ocean research. Together with Transition Labs, Carbon to Sea evaluated over a dozen potential locations and identified Hvalfjörður as a potential home for an Ocean Climate R&D Hub – the Röst Marine Research Center.
Under the leadership of CEO Salome Hallfreðsdóttir, the non-profit research center aims to advance our understanding of the scientific, technical, and social potential of OAE in a closely-monitored, real-world environment.
The “most studied fjord in Iceland”
To do so, researchers from the Marine & Freshwater Research Institute of Iceland have been funded by Röst to collect physical, biogeochemical, and biological data from the fjord. A robust regime of sensor-based and vessel-based sampling throughout the year is building a base of foundational data that will help researchers understand how marine and weather conditions impact OAE and therefore design more effective and responsible alkalinity release trials.
Nonprofit research organization [C]Worthy is currently building a high fidelity Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) to help future research teams plan their field research and quantify impacts beyond the near field. Ocean models are a close partner to in-water observations to help understand the full picture of ocean-based carbon removal.
In addition to the ROMS, [C]Worthy led a dual tracer study in July 2024 to establish the air-sea gas exchange velocity between the atmosphere and ocean surface. Researchers released small amounts of a non-toxic tracer (a mixture of pure SF6 and He3 commonly used in this kind of research) in the fjord, then collected samples throughout the region to track the dispersal. This experiment was led by David Ho, Ben Hickman, Toby Koffman, Ryo Dobashi, Lennart Gerke, and supported by Salome Hallfreðsdóttir from Röst and Jóhann BergÞórsson from Transition Labs. Researchers were able to plot the distribution of SF6 surface water concentrations, as well as the ratio of SF6 and He3, to understand the dispersion and movement of the fjord’s surface water. This data will further inform future research at the site.
“At Röst, we are proud to collaborate with leading scientists and engineers who are pioneering OAE research to tackle one of the greatest challenges of our time: climate change,” said Hallfreðsdóttir. “While reducing CO2 emissions remains the most critical action, there is an urgent need to develop effective methods for removing existing CO2 from the atmosphere. Thanks to our fruitful collaboration with the Carbon to Sea Initiative, our scientists and partners are contributing to Iceland’s legacy of innovation while helping to build a more sustainable future. We hope this work inspires broader research and innovation in ocean-based carbon removal technologies – because addressing climate change cannot wait.”
Small scale pilot planned for this summer
Building on the site characterization work, dual tracer study and baseline study, an interdisciplinary research team is now ready to plan its first pilot field trial for the summer of 2025. The goal of this research is to determine whether adding small amounts of NaOH to seawater can measurably raise alkalinity levels, whether this alkalinity can reduce pCO₂ in the seawater, and whether this leads to carbon dioxide removal. The research will also seek to identify and measure any environmental impacts.
Joint Learning Opportunity to be announced in February
Together with the research team, Carbon to Sea and Röst will soon be announcing partnership opportunities for additional scientists and sensor providers to join the trial. More information will be announced in a formal RFP in February.
The Iceland research hub is laying a foundation to support OAE research around the globe. We look forward to sharing further updates on research conducted in Hvalfjörður.
