Three Rapidly Evolving Emissions Reduction Technologies To Keep An Eye On

Three Rapidly Evolving Emissions Reduction Technologies To Keep An Eye On

Carbon removal technologies and methane reduction were important topics of discussion at COP28, as key concerns in pledges to accelerate growth in carbon capture and the announcement of $1 billion grant funding for methane reduction. In efforts to track available technologies that identify, monitor and take actions to manage, remove and reduce emissions across operations, Verdantix highlights three technologies to watch:

• Enhanced rock weathering is a carbon removal technology that geochemically sequesters CO₂ by spreading a ground mineral-rich rock onto surfaces. The technology has great potential as it does not utilize electricity and can be easily scaled, however more research is needed into how carbon removal can be measured and certified before enhanced rock weathering becomes fully commercialized. Although the technology is still in a research and development phase, it is attracting investors’ and carbon credit buyers’ interest. In December 2023, the Frontier group – which includes Alphabet, H&M and Shopify among others – announced a $57.1 million agreement with the enhanced rock weathering startup Lithos Carbon to sequester 154,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ between 2024 and 2028.
  
  
• Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is the only carbon reduction technology that can also generate energy. Biomass is burned to produce electricity, while the CO₂ is isolated and stored underground. The technology offers a decarbonization solution for high-emitting industries, such as steel, chemicals and paper. Despite high costs and long lead times, some industrial facilities that support BECCS are already operational, such as the Illinois Industrial CCS project, which received a $141 million investment from the US Department of Energy. The IEA estimates that the carbon captured by BECCS is expected to reach 50 MtCO₂ per year by 2030.
  
  
• Static optical gas sensors enable methane gas detection to facilitate a fast repair. In December 2023, the Biden administration announced a new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule aimed at cutting methane emissions by the oil and gas industry, promoting the use of methane detection technologies such as static optical gas sensors, satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles. Furthermore, oil and gas firms are setting ambitious methane reduction targets. Compliance and reputational risk will drive innovation to speed up the large-scale application of static optical gas sensors, which are now in a growth phase.

See the full Tech Roadmap: GHG Emissions Management, Removal And Reduction Technologies (2023) to learn more about GHG emissions management, reduction and removal technologies, their maturity levels, business value and pace of innovation.