We produce high-quality carbon removals by transforming excess biomass into coal and storing it permanently underground.
Millions of years ago,
large quantities of coal were formed
from dead biomass.
Since the industrial revolution
we mined an enormous
amount of coal.
By burning it we fueled the greenhouse effect.
Today
we turn biomass into coal again and put it back underground.
In doing so we permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
Let's stay in touch.
In our newsletter we inform you about reverse carbon mining and the latest developments in the field of negative CO2 emissions.
NEWSLETTER
THE ROLE OF THE FAST CARBON CYCLE
Through photosynthesis, plants absorb enormous amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere throughout the year. However, nature will only store a small part of it permanently. For the most part, carbon is released back into the atmosphere in a relatively short timeframe through plant respiration and microbial decomposition.
By reverse carbon mining (RCM), we can permanently remove CO2 from this cycle.
WHAT IS
REVERSE
CARBON
MINING?
Excess biogenic materials that would otherwise rot or be burned (thereby releasing the stored CO2) shall be carbonized in a process called
"pyrolysis". The resulting char shall be buried underground, beneath the humus layer.
.
The result: Carbon that would have been re-released into the atmosphere is permanently stored and can be re-verified at any time. In addition, the pyrolysis process yields usable energy.
WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL OF REVERSE CARBON MINING?
Meanwhile, it is high time not only for emission reductions. All climate scenarios of the IPCC in which the 1.5° warming target is still achievable already foresee carbon removal on a large scale.
RCM can cover those requirements if we convert only 5% of the worldwide yearly regrowing biomass into char and store it away.
PROJECT TEAM
David Unterholzner
Co-Founder
Jürgen Brandner
Co-Founder
Bahar Salahi
Co-Founder
PARTNERS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What is the fast "biological" carbon cycle?The Equilibrium between photosynthesis, microbial decomposition and plant respiration is brought out of balance by human caused emissions.
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What is "Reverse Carbon Mining"?Definition: CO2 re-release through microbial decomposition shall be hindered by pyrolysis of responsibly sourced, excess biomass and biogenic waste. Defined quantities of extracted carbon shall be stored in underground pits to times far beyond the foreseeable future.
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Why RCM yields an ideal Carbon Removal Product?The result of RCM is an ideal CDR product that combines permanence, scalability, measurability and verifiability.
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How does Pyrolysis work?If biogenic materials are heated in the absence of oxygen/air carbohydrates and other volatile elements are released as a syngas and about 50% of the contained carbon remains as char. The syngas can be bruned to provide heat for the process itself as well as other applications.
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How does RCM compare to other Negative Emission Technologies?Storing CO2 in the form of a char results in higher bulk density, lower handling complexity, reduced prospecting and monitoring efforts, superior durability as well as it allows for a fully decentralized approach with regional deposits.
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What storage options are there for RCM?There are variety of options to store carbon underground. Mainly in two areas: under soil (pedosphere) or as part of mine reclamation. In both cases the coal can have additional beneficial effects.
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What is the Negative-Emissions-Potential for RCM?Even in the most benign IPCC scenarios, with a reduction of CO2 emissions to zero in 2050, it is imperative to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. RCM has the potential to sequester up to 10 Gt CO2 per year by transforming only ~5% of the yearly re-growing biomass into storable char. (Background figure source: Zeke Hausfater)
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Aren't you effectively burying energy when you put coal back in the ground?Yes, we are burying the potential energy stored in the biogenic coal. But even in a very efficient DAC plant, it would take the same amount of energy to just remove the CO2 from the air. And then instead of a compact solid, you have a gas to store.
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What are the advantages of storing elemental carbon instead of gaseous CO2?Burying char needs minimal safety precautions and can be done in decentralized, small pits. Contrary, exploration, and monitoring of deep wells for storage of compressed CO2 is costly, not possible in many locations, and not desirable in some.