Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Workshop, Bergen, Norway, 28th June 2022

Publication Overview

The aim of the workshop was to provide members and other stakeholders with an update on the status of CDR, identify crucial knowledge gaps and the mechanisms to resolve them, and find possible cooperation/collaboration opportunities.

Publication Summary

The session on Government and Policy Frameworks had speakers from the US Department of Energy (DOE), the International Panel non Clinmte Change (IPCC) and the Mission Innovation (MI) CDR Mission. Important outcomes were:

• US makes more than USD 3.5bn for DACCS projects available
• IPCC emphasises the essential role for CDR, including CCUS, in reaching net zero
• MI CDR Challenge underway with the production of a Technology Roadmap and an Action Plan.

Keynote talks included a general overview of CDR solutions and more specific presentation on the CDR solutions Direct Air Capturer (DAC), Mineralization and Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS). Key message include:

• High quality, i.e. permanent, carbon offsets/removal are needed
• Current DACCS costs tend to be high but significant cost reductions can be realised
• EM progress is slow, suffering from low TRL, lack of business cases and wider LCAs
• BECCS work scientifically as a climate mitigation pathway, but the impact will be case and service specific.

After the general introductions to CDR technologies, providers and users of the technologies presented snapshot views. Providers were represented by Mineral Carbonation International (MCi)and Climeworks, whereas the UK power utility Drax and the Norwegian waste-to-energy plant Celsio represented users of CDR. Conclusions are that

• CDR technology providers are ready to deliver and scale up
• Users are ready to implement but regulations and accounting systems must be developed.

The workshop included a panel debate on CDR accounting, with participants that have experience from Life Cycle Assessmen (LCA), emissions accounting, both in general and on BECCS and waste-to-energy in particular, as well as from regulatory work. Important outcomes are

• International cooperation and knowledge sharing is needed
• Life cycle perspectives are needed, including energy, land and water use and potential trade-offs with sustainable development targets
• Standards of monitoring, verification and reporting and for Life Cycle and Techno-economic Assessments are needed
• RD&D is needed to get costs and energy requirements down
• Nations need CDR strategies.