Innovation and engineering for industrial-scale negative emissions systems

Recent reports [1],[2] highlight the importance of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and negative emissions technologies (NETs) in limiting global temperature increases resulting from anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Projections for the emissions pathways to limit global warming to 2⁰ C include substantial contributions from CDR beginning well before the estimated net global negative emissions crossover point, which is expected just beyond mid-century. In fact, the predicted need for negative emissions capacity reaches 10 gigatons per year by midcentury and at least 20 gigatons per year by 2100¹. Establishing robust, energy efficient, and low-cost CDR strategies are essential to enable new carbon management industries that would allow for the ambitious GHG mitigation required to avoid the risks associated with warming above 2⁰ C outlined in the IPCC report². Advanced research in a number of areas will be necessary to bring down the cost and energy intensity of CDR technologies to present the possibility of establishing new CO₂ feedstock and negative emissions pathway opportunities. Although numerous recent reports and technical summaries have outlined comprehensive research agendas, roadmaps, and policy frameworks to be pursued for CDR and NETs [3],[4],[5], substantial federal research programs on NETs have not been established.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) is surveying the intellectual space of ideas for CDR and NETs strategies in order to inform potential advanced technology research programs in this space. This presentation outlines the various technology opportunities and unique strategies being considered for negative emissions and describes how a future negative emissions industry of necessary scale could evolve as a function of low-cost advanced negative emissions technologies being deployed. It will also explore partnerships, data, and observation network needs across scales and sectors that could be facilitated within the interagency space among the science and practitioner community.

See image upload for cited report titles.

[1] National Academies of Sciences. (2018)

[2] IPCC. (2018)

[3] New Carbon Economy Consortium(2018)

[4] Bipartisan Policy Center and The Energy Futures Initiative (2019)

[5] Rhodium Group (2019)