PROJECT VESTA, PBC — Department of Commerce SBIR Phase I: 9.1

Description

The National Academy of Sciences have called for the rapid implementation of silicate-based CO2 removal to help sequester >1000 GtCO2 by 2100. This represents an unprecedented opportunity to connect the weathering of the silicate mineral, olivine, to rapidly growing carbon markets through the development of measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) technologies. Project Vesta proposes to develop a novel MRV approach for in situ olivine-derived ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) through the development of integrated sensor technology within custom-designed microcosms that simulate natural, coastal conditions. Project Vesta will fill major knowledge gaps and provide the necessary framework to constrain stoichiometric relationships among the optimal set of dissolution products and the measurement accuracy and precision needed for robust detection across space and time. MRV is critical to unlock the broader industry of OAE and link it to the rapidly growing carbon market, projected to surpass $1 trillion in 2050. This will in turn attract the necessary resources for gigaton-scale carbon removal. MRV will enable Project Vesta to license this technology to other organizations wishing to implement ocean-based CDR. Our vision is to help seed a global ecosystem of OAE organizations through the successful development of MRV in concert with safe olivine deployments.