Carbon Management

Clean energy alone isn't enough. We must actively remove billions of tons of CO₂ already trapped in our atmosphere. Our research develops the technologies, systems, and policies to deploy carbon removal at massive scale while creating community benefits.

From Capture to Storage to Systems

Carbon Removal at Scale

  • We study the systems level implications of carbon removal at scale to remove gigatons of pollution annually, combining engineering analysis with integrated assessment modeling.

    • Technology Performance Analysis: Quantifying energy demands, costs, and scalability constraints for different direct air capture approaches

    • Regional Deployment Modeling: Mapping where carbon removal technologies can be deployed most effectively across different states and regions

    • Integration with Energy Systems: Understanding how carbon removal interacts with renewable energy deployment and grid operations

    • Comparative Assessment: Evaluating direct air capture alongside other removal approaches to identify optimal portfolios

    • Pradhan, S., Shobe, W. M., Fuhrman, J., McJeon, H., Binsted, M., Doney, S. C., & Clarens, A. F. (2021). Effects of Direct Air Capture Technology Availability on Stranded Assets and Committed Emissions in the Power Sector. Frontiers in Climate, 3, 45.

    • Fuhrman, Jay, Haewon McJeon, Scott C. Doney, William Shobe, and Andres F. Clarens. (2019). From Zero to Hero?: Why Integrated Assessment Modeling of Negative Emissions Technologies Is Hard and How We Can Do Better. Frontiers in Climate 1: 11.

    • Fuhrman, Jay, Andres F. Clarens, Haewon McJeon, Pralit Patel, Yang Ou, Scott C. Doney, William M. Shobe, and Shreekar Pradhan. (2021). The role of negative emissions in meeting China's 2060 carbon neutrality goal. Oxford Open Climate Change 1, no. 1.

Geologic Carbon Storage

  • We study fundamental processes that enable permanent, secure storage of captured CO₂ in underground formations, from pore-scale physics to formation-scale integrity.

    • Multiphase Flow Dynamics: Understanding how CO₂ moves through rock formations and gets trapped permanently

    • Wellbore Integrity: Developing methods to prevent leakage through old oil and gas wells using targeted mineral precipitation

    • Shale Formation Storage: Assessing depleted hydraulic fracturing sites as potential carbon storage reservoirs

    • Monitoring and Verification: Technologies to track stored CO₂ and ensure long-term containment

    • Ling, F. T., Plattenberger, D. A., Peters, C. A., & Clarens, A. F. (2021). Sealing Porous Media through Calcium Silicate Reactions with CO2 to Enhance the Security of Geologic Carbon Sequestration. Environmental Engineering Science, 38(3), 127-142.

    • Bielicki, J. M., Langenfeld, J. K., Tao, Z., Middleton, R. S., Menefee, A. H., & Clarens, A. F. (2018). The geospatial and economic viability of CO2 storage in hydrocarbon depleted fractured shale formations. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 75, 8-23.

    • Wang, S., I. Edwards, A. F. Clarens (2013). Wettability phenomena at the CO2-brine-mineral interface: Implications for geologic carbon sequestration. Environmental Science and Technology. 47 (1), pp 234–241.

Carbon Management Systems

  • We conduct comprehensive analysis of how carbon removal integrates into broader energy and economic systems. Our modeling examines trade-offs, co-benefits, and deployment strategies across different scenarios.

    • Integrated Assessment Modeling: Large-scale simulations of carbon removal deployment under different policy and economic conditions

    • Life Cycle Assessment: Full environmental impact analysis of carbon removal technologies from construction through operation

    • Regional Impact Analysis: Understanding how carbon removal affects local communities, economies, and environments

    • Policy Pathway Development: Identifying regulatory and economic mechanisms to accelerate responsible deployment

    • Fuhrman, J., McJeon, H., Patel, P., Doney, S.C., Shobe, W.M. and Clarens, A.F., (2020). Food–energy–water implications of negative emissions technologies in a+ 1.5 C future. Nature Climate Change, 10(10), pp.920-927.

    • Middleton, R. S., Clarens, A. F., Liu, X., Bielicki, J. M., Levine, J. S. (2014). CO2 Deserts: Implications of Existing CO2 Supply Limitations for Carbon Management. Environmental Science & Technology (19), 11713-11720.

    • Tao, Zhiyuan and A. F. Clarens (2013). Estimating the carbon sequestration capacity of shale formations using methane production rates. Environmental Science and Technology. 47 (19), pp 11318–11325.

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