Navigating Environmental Safety: Insights from NIVA’s Evaluation of mCDR in the Norwegian Sea

In 2023, we partnered with NIVA (The Norwegian Research Institute for Water and the Environment) to perform a rigorous independent assessment of the environmental impact of planned marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) in the Norwegian Sea. Results indicated that Running Tide’s carbon removal system can be deployed well within “good conditions” of Norwegian water quality standards in the benthic environment.

‍

To ensure the efficacy and environmental safety of our methods, we enlisted the expertise of NIVA to subject our proposed project and methods to rigorous scrutiny. Their assessment, as presented at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly in 2024, made use of advanced modeling techniques, including the 2-Dimensional Benthic Pelagic Model (2DBP) coupled with the biogeochemical Bottom RedOx Model (BROM). They explored the interplay between biomass and calcium carbonate on the seafloor, examining factors such as oxygen levels, acidification, and overall biogeochemistry to determine how different densities of deposited biomass coated in alkaline minerals affects the benthos. 

‍

The verdict? Our work is within “good conditions” of water quality standards, even under density scenarios 100x greater than our field trials in Iceland in 2023. 

‍

This partnership with NIVA showcases the necessity of robust evaluation utilizing best available science and local expertise to assess the risk of our work and to mitigate the impacts through design of our system. As we confront the challenges of climate change, integrating insights from assessments such as these into our system is not just beneficial— it’s imperative. 

‍

For a detailed exploration of the findings, the full report can be read here.

‍

For more information about our research roadmap, the full roadmap can be found here.

‍