PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a nationally recognized testbed for marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) technologies and supporting research. No single agency or organization alone has the capacity to tackle the tough, multi-disciplinary actions needed to advance mCDR solutions. That’s why PNNL is taking a partnership-based approach, leveraging the capabilities and resources from multiple agencies, industry, and universities across fundamental and applied research to assess the global potential for mCDR solutions.

The PNNL-Sequim campus is uniquely well-suited to this work and supports joint projects that leverage its laboratory, mesocosm, and field-testing capabilities. As a Federally Funded Research and Development Organization, joint projects at PNNL support independent testing and research activities to assess emerging technologies. With many open questions about mCDR across multiple disciplines, PNNL’s federal research capabilities play a key role in advancing technology responsibly, while protecting the intellectual property of industry partners. 

News

• Climate change is ravaging the oceans. Some startups see a solution in marine carbon capture - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA's) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and the University of Washington is working on a pilot project of Ebb Carbon at PNNL-Sequim, which involves a device that neutralizes the acid in seawater.
• New technology removes acid from the ocean to sequester carbon - PNNL is partnering with Ebb Carbon to investigate a new technology that harnesses the ocean’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide—while protecting its inhabitants from ocean acidification. This partnership was also highlighted by Reuters, Business Wire, Canary Media, Carbon Herald, and NOAA.
• PNNL researchers chosen to lead multi-organizational team working on pathways for mineralization-based carbon dioxide removal - The Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions selected PNNL to lead a new team focused on accelerating the commercialization of mineralization-based carbon dioxide removal pathways. In collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and 22 industry partners, the team will work closely with coastal communities to develop a framework for mineralization-based carbon dioxide removal. 

Video

Learn about the Electrochemical Acid Sequestration to Ease Ocean Acidification project—led by the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory—and its potential to remove 100 tons of carbon dioxide (CO²) from the atmosphere per year (equivalent to about 112,000 pounds of burned coal).

Publications

DJ Rose, LG Hemery. 2023. “Methods for Measuring Carbon Dioxide Uptake and Permanence: Review and Implications for Macroalgae Aquaculture.” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 11 (1), 175. 

DJ Rose, EW Ertsgaard. 2023. "mCDR and carbon sequestration in various macroalgae products (FY22 Seedling Report)." United States. doi: 10.2172/1985888

C.R. Myers C.R., and C.V. Subban. 2022. "Ocean Deacidification Technologies For Marine Aquaculture." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 10, no. 4:Art. No. 523. PNNL-SA-170723. doi:10.3390/jmse10040523 

E Cotter, R Cavagnaro, A Copping, S Geerlofs. 2021. “Powering Negative-Emissions Technologies with Marine Renewable Energy" OCEANS 2021: San Diego–Porto, 1-8.