Planetary Technologies achieve atmospheric carbon removal via Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) by adding fine Magnesium Hydroxide, Mg(OH)₂, to wastewater or other industrial outfalls that discharge into the ocean. The addition of Mg(OH)₂ to seawater results in an increase in pH, and a shift of the ocean’s carbonate buffer system that prompts conversion of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) in seawater to bicarbonate and carbonate ions. This leads to a reduction in CO₂ partial pressure which either (i) undersaturates seawater relative to air, causing atmospheric CO₂ to invade into the surface ocean, or (ii) in waters that are supersaturated in CO₂, for example around wastewater outfalls, the water’s CO₂ partial pressure is lowered so that loss of biogenic CO₂ to air is reduced. Carbon is stored in the form of dissolved bicarbonate and carbonate ions in seawater on the timescale of 10,000-100,000 years.
Isometric is currently writing a community OAE protocol and working with Planetary to understand their MRV needs. This protocol will make reference to Planetary’s working MRV methodology.
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