Top 10 Predictions for the Advanced Bioeconomy in 2022

1. Carbon Capture – Let’s Rock

It’s a simple way to approach reducing carbon — gran it before it’s emitted and stuff it somewhere the sun won’t shine. There are differing views about whether carbon capture is a good idea, how safe and stable the storage solutions are, and the eye-watering costs. But the world needs to reduce atmospheric carbon levels dramatically, at any price, and when it comes to eliminating emissions, “all of the above” ought to be the strategy. Embracing carbon capture is not a way of saying “I love petroleum”, it’s a way of saying “we’re doing something effective and now to solve our problems!”. Sure, we need to make as many things biobased as we can. electrify quickly, reduce waste, and recycle materials. All of it. Carbon capture is the simplest approach to utilizing existing refining capacity and transport infrastructure. So, it’s going to be a trillion dollar market, says ARPA-E, and right quick. BUT, let’s remember that carbon capture is best utilized for electricity and hydrogen, where we can get the carbon footprint down very low. It’s not so useful for transport or point-of-use heating, where combustion generates CO2 no matter if some is sequestered back at the refinery. Carbon capture also makes sense for ethanol producers, who can monetize their carbon reductions through low carbon fuel standards. And, we hope that cement manufacturers will have legislation to reward them for adopting low-carbon strategies.

One thing about carbon sequestration, we’re going to need a lot of storage, and there are lots of caves available, not always near the point of capture. So, we think there’s going to be a great opportunity for making stone from CO2, so long as a sustainable, affordable source of calcium is found,. And, we are very bullish about ocean-based capture. The more we reduce CO2 levels in the sea, the more the oceans absorb from the air.