Vesta Research: Coastal Carbon Capture

Coastal Carbon Capture, also known as Coastal Enhanced Weathering, is a negative emission technology (NET) designed to remove and store CO₂ over long timescales, ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of years. This process involves the accelerated chemical weathering of olivine-containing rock by dispersing it along coastlines, where it dissolves in seawater, thereby enhancing the absorption of CO₂ by the ocean. Olivine dissolution drives a reaction that increases CO₂ uptake, raises pH levels, and generates alkalinity, potentially counteracting ocean acidification, a process caused by rising atmospheric CO₂ levels.

The dissolution of olivine sequesters hydrogen ions into dissolved silicate, which is essential for diatoms, a key photosynthesizing algae and a vital component of the marine food web. This process is integral to the Long-Term Inorganic Carbon Cycle, stabilizing Earth's atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and supporting life. While natural weathering occurs too slowly to offset human CO₂ emissions, efforts are underway to accelerate it and remove significant amounts of atmospheric CO₂ annually. A team of international scientists and entrepreneurs is pioneering Coastal Carbon Capture (CCC) techniques to achieve this goal globally.