DirectOceanCarbonCapture(DOCC)ElectrochemicalProcesses

Why It Matters

The oceans have absorbed over 30% of anthropogenic CO2, leading to ocean acidification and reducing their future capacity to buffer atmospheric CO2, impacting ecosystems and climate stability. Scalable DOCC could reverse ocean acidification, restore marine life, and significantly draw down atmospheric CO2, protecting coastal economies and global climate. Coastal communities, marine industries, and carbon market investors would win, while fossil fuel industries might face increased pressure to account for their emissions. Technical barriers include the energy demand for electrochemical separation, managing co-products (e.g., hydrogen, acids/bases), and scaling up to handle vast volumes of seawater. A realistic timeline for significant commercial deployment is 15-30 years. The US, with its extensive coastline and venture capital investment, is a key player, alongside European research groups. A second-order consequence could be a significant increase in demand for renewable energy infrastructure to power these DOCC plants, accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.