A new NETL fact sheet summarizes a growing portfolio of research activity by its Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Program that is integral to U.S. efforts to achieve a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.

NETL’s CDR suite of technologies couples research on carbon capture methods with long duration carbon storage. The new fact sheet explains work underway on a variety of carbon capture methods including:

• Direct air capture, when technologies separate CO2 from ambient air and then deliver extracted CO₂ in a pure, compressed form that can then be stul ored underground or reused.
• Enhanced mineralization that removes CO2 from the air and stores it in the form of carbonate minerals such as calcite or magnesite.
• Biomass carbon removal that uses organic materials or resources derived from plant or animal matter to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it underground.
• Ocean-based CDR that removes excess carbon from oceanwater, reversing ocean acidification caused by dissolved CO₂ in the ocean.

The fact sheet also discusses key technologies involved with carbon capture methods including:

• Solvent-based CO₂ capture ─ the chemical or physical absorption of CO₂ from air or a gas mixture into a liquid carrier.
• Membrane-based CO₂ capture ─ use of permeable or semi-permeable materials for the selective transport and separation of CO₂ from gas mixtures or air.
• Sorbent-based CO₂ capture ─ the chemical or physical adsorption of CO₂ using solid sorbents.
• Electrochemical-based CO₂ capture ─ shifting of a working fluid between basic and acidic pH to capture and recover CO_2.

A major feature of the Lab’s CDR Program addressed in the new fact sheet is its use of life cycle analysis (LCA) to ensure the environmental viability of CDR technologies and approaches. NETL’s LCA method uses the principles of life cycle assessment, life cycle cost analysis, and various other methods to evaluate the environmental, economic and social attributes of energy systems ranging from the extraction of raw materials from the ground to the use of the energy carrier to perform work.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.