Engineered
Carbon mineralization
Carbon mineralization is a broad term encompassing all pathways (and associated timescales) through which CO₂ reacts with ions derived from alkaline minerals to form stable carbonates. Also referred to as “mineral carbonation,” it is related to ERW and abiotic mCDR where carbon is stored in bicarbonate ions. In contrast, the products of carbon mineralization are carbonate minerals, a highly durable method of storing carbon. Carbon mineralization binds carbon in rock in both underground (in situ) and aboveground (ex situ) sites. Carbonate minerals can be incorporated into products as low-carbon feedstocks, such as concrete aggregate. Further, some industrial feedstocks can adversely impact ecosystems and communities unless repurposed for mineralization. For agricultural applications, please refer to the criteria for Enhanced rock weathering in croplands.
Engineered
Carbon mineralization
Carbon mineralization is a broad term encompassing all pathways (and associated timescales) through which CO₂ reacts with ions derived from alkaline minerals to form stable carbonates. Also referred to as “mineral carbonation,” it is related to ERW and abiotic mCDR where carbon is stored in bicarbonate ions. In contrast, the products of carbon mineralization are carbonate minerals, a highly durable method of storing carbon. Carbon mineralization binds carbon in rock in both underground (in situ) and aboveground (ex situ) sites. Carbonate minerals can be incorporated into products as low-carbon feedstocks, such as concrete aggregate. Further, some industrial feedstocks can adversely impact ecosystems and communities unless repurposed for mineralization. For agricultural applications, please refer to the criteria for Enhanced rock weathering in croplands.
Engineered
Carbon mineralization
Carbon mineralization is a broad term encompassing all pathways (and associated timescales) through which CO₂ reacts with ions derived from alkaline minerals to form stable carbonates. Also referred to as “mineral carbonation,” it is related to ERW and abiotic mCDR where carbon is stored in bicarbonate ions. In contrast, the products of carbon mineralization are carbonate minerals, a highly durable method of storing carbon. Carbon mineralization binds carbon in rock in both underground (in situ) and aboveground (ex situ) sites. Carbonate minerals can be incorporated into products as low-carbon feedstocks, such as concrete aggregate. Further, some industrial feedstocks can adversely impact ecosystems and communities unless repurposed for mineralization. For agricultural applications, please refer to the criteria for Enhanced rock weathering in croplands.
Carbon mineralization
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Minimize risk of adverse impacts on ecosystems, communities, and workers (e.g., changes in water quality, land use, pollutant use, and exposure to harmful materials).
Document how a facility’s established community engagement processes are expanded when CDR activities are added onto existing industrial processes (e.g., concrete production or active mine site).
Project developers should
Remediate past negative environmental impacts on the community, where possible (e.g., from historical mining operations) and document these efforts.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Minimize risk of adverse impacts on ecosystems, communities, and workers (e.g., changes in water quality, land use, pollutant use, and exposure to harmful materials).
Document how a facility’s established community engagement processes are expanded when CDR activities are added onto existing industrial processes (e.g., concrete production or active mine site).
Project developers should
Remediate past negative environmental impacts on the community, where possible (e.g., from historical mining operations) and document these efforts.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Minimize risk of adverse impacts on ecosystems, communities, and workers (e.g., changes in water quality, land use, pollutant use, and exposure to harmful materials).
Document how a facility’s established community engagement processes are expanded when CDR activities are added onto existing industrial processes (e.g., concrete production or active mine site).
Project developers should
Remediate past negative environmental impacts on the community, where possible (e.g., from historical mining operations) and document these efforts.
Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Minimize risk of adverse impacts on ecosystems, communities, and workers (e.g., changes in water quality, land use, pollutant use, and exposure to harmful materials).
Document how a facility’s established community engagement processes are expanded when CDR activities are added onto existing industrial processes (e.g., concrete production or active mine site).
Project developers should
Remediate past negative environmental impacts on the community, where possible (e.g., from historical mining operations) and document these efforts.
Carbon mineralization
Environmental harms and benefits
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Measure and disclose the volume, composition, and disposal methods of all waste streams (i.e., solid, liquid, and gas) associated with the project.
Disclose whether ex situ mineralization projects source raw materials and inputs from existing mines and industrial by-products, or if they require new mining activities. In the case of new mining activity, measure and mitigate any environmental impacts from the new mine or quarry.
Quantify the net amount of water, potable and non-potable, that the project consumes during mineralization.
Project developers should
Implement mitigation plans for unintended release of a waste stream into the environment.
For in situ mineralization projects, quantify the risk to local seismicity and implement mitigation actions used to prevent those risks.
Environmental harms and benefits
Environmental harms and benefits
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Measure and disclose the volume, composition, and disposal methods of all waste streams (i.e., solid, liquid, and gas) associated with the project.
Disclose whether ex situ mineralization projects source raw materials and inputs from existing mines and industrial by-products, or if they require new mining activities. In the case of new mining activity, measure and mitigate any environmental impacts from the new mine or quarry.
Quantify the net amount of water, potable and non-potable, that the project consumes during mineralization.
Project developers should
Implement mitigation plans for unintended release of a waste stream into the environment.
For in situ mineralization projects, quantify the risk to local seismicity and implement mitigation actions used to prevent those risks.
Environmental harms and benefits
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Measure and disclose the volume, composition, and disposal methods of all waste streams (i.e., solid, liquid, and gas) associated with the project.
Disclose whether ex situ mineralization projects source raw materials and inputs from existing mines and industrial by-products, or if they require new mining activities. In the case of new mining activity, measure and mitigate any environmental impacts from the new mine or quarry.
Quantify the net amount of water, potable and non-potable, that the project consumes during mineralization.
Project developers should
Implement mitigation plans for unintended release of a waste stream into the environment.
For in situ mineralization projects, quantify the risk to local seismicity and implement mitigation actions used to prevent those risks.
Environmental harms and benefits
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Measure and disclose the volume, composition, and disposal methods of all waste streams (i.e., solid, liquid, and gas) associated with the project.
Disclose whether ex situ mineralization projects source raw materials and inputs from existing mines and industrial by-products, or if they require new mining activities. In the case of new mining activity, measure and mitigate any environmental impacts from the new mine or quarry.
Quantify the net amount of water, potable and non-potable, that the project consumes during mineralization.
Project developers should
Implement mitigation plans for unintended release of a waste stream into the environment.
For in situ mineralization projects, quantify the risk to local seismicity and implement mitigation actions used to prevent those risks.
Carbon mineralization
Additionality and baselines
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Include a mass balance accounting for all states of carbon (e.g., solid, liquid, and gas), any metals that contribute to mineral carbonate formation, and all alkalinity imported or exported from the project boundaries when quantifying project baselines and changes in mineralization rates.
Measure the rate of natural mineral weathering when calculating the project baseline.
Quantify the carbonate mineral content in feedstocks.
Document all revenue streams for the project including the sale of refined metals, material products, and any cost savings from adopting mineralization technology at existing facilities.
Project developers should
Select feedstocks with low carbonate mineral concentrations to reduce uncertainty in carbon measurement.
Monitor feedstock carbonate mineral content throughout the project duration.
Implement control plots to measure natural mineral weathering rates before, during, and after project deployment, when relevant.
Measure changes in mineralization reaction rates over time due to consumption of highly reactive material and feedstock passivation.
Additionality and baselines
Additionality and baselines
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Include a mass balance accounting for all states of carbon (e.g., solid, liquid, and gas), any metals that contribute to mineral carbonate formation, and all alkalinity imported or exported from the project boundaries when quantifying project baselines and changes in mineralization rates.
Measure the rate of natural mineral weathering when calculating the project baseline.
Quantify the carbonate mineral content in feedstocks.
Document all revenue streams for the project including the sale of refined metals, material products, and any cost savings from adopting mineralization technology at existing facilities.
Project developers should
Select feedstocks with low carbonate mineral concentrations to reduce uncertainty in carbon measurement.
Monitor feedstock carbonate mineral content throughout the project duration.
Implement control plots to measure natural mineral weathering rates before, during, and after project deployment, when relevant.
Measure changes in mineralization reaction rates over time due to consumption of highly reactive material and feedstock passivation.
Additionality and baselines
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Include a mass balance accounting for all states of carbon (e.g., solid, liquid, and gas), any metals that contribute to mineral carbonate formation, and all alkalinity imported or exported from the project boundaries when quantifying project baselines and changes in mineralization rates.
Measure the rate of natural mineral weathering when calculating the project baseline.
Quantify the carbonate mineral content in feedstocks.
Document all revenue streams for the project including the sale of refined metals, material products, and any cost savings from adopting mineralization technology at existing facilities.
Project developers should
Select feedstocks with low carbonate mineral concentrations to reduce uncertainty in carbon measurement.
Monitor feedstock carbonate mineral content throughout the project duration.
Implement control plots to measure natural mineral weathering rates before, during, and after project deployment, when relevant.
Measure changes in mineralization reaction rates over time due to consumption of highly reactive material and feedstock passivation.
Additionality and baselines
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Include a mass balance accounting for all states of carbon (e.g., solid, liquid, and gas), any metals that contribute to mineral carbonate formation, and all alkalinity imported or exported from the project boundaries when quantifying project baselines and changes in mineralization rates.
Measure the rate of natural mineral weathering when calculating the project baseline.
Quantify the carbonate mineral content in feedstocks.
Document all revenue streams for the project including the sale of refined metals, material products, and any cost savings from adopting mineralization technology at existing facilities.
Project developers should
Select feedstocks with low carbonate mineral concentrations to reduce uncertainty in carbon measurement.
Monitor feedstock carbonate mineral content throughout the project duration.
Implement control plots to measure natural mineral weathering rates before, during, and after project deployment, when relevant.
Measure changes in mineralization reaction rates over time due to consumption of highly reactive material and feedstock passivation.
Carbon mineralization
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Minimize risk of adverse impacts on ecosystems, communities, and workers (e.g., changes in water quality, land use, pollutant use, and exposure to harmful materials).
Document how a facility’s established community engagement processes are expanded when CDR activities are added onto existing industrial processes (e.g., concrete production or active mine site).
Project developers should
Remediate past negative environmental impacts on the community, where possible (e.g., from historical mining operations) and document these efforts.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use the best available measurement methods and tools to directly measure carbon stocks and fluxes in materials.
Disclose any modeling tools used to supplement and inform measurements, along with information on model validation, calibration, and uncertainty.
Ensure that carbon removal claims are consistent with a net carbon-negative outcome based on a cradle-to-grave LCA. The LCA must conservatively quantify all GHG emissions associated with the full suite of inputs and products from the project.
Measure and monitor, where appropriate, the impact of the project on other GHG pathways (e.g., methanogenesis, nitrogen cycle).
Identify the source of metals, such as calcium and magnesium, that are contributing to mineral formation. Include the carbon impact of the metal source in the project’s MRV.
Document the degree of heterogeneity or homogeneity in industrial waste or mineral feedstocks and quantify its effect on measurement certainty and life cycle impacts.
Project developers should
Identify all carbon reservoirs and monitor carbon movement between reservoirs with appropriate tools (e.g., tracer, isotopic studies).
Use cost assessments and LCAs that clearly identify and differentiate continuously produced and stockpiled industrial feedstocks.
Include cross verification with redundancy (e.g., cross referencing gas, liquid, and solid phase fluxes with mass balances).
Supplement and calibrate modeling with direct physical and/or chemical evidence of mineralization.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use the best available measurement methods and tools to directly measure carbon stocks and fluxes in materials.
Disclose any modeling tools used to supplement and inform measurements, along with information on model validation, calibration, and uncertainty.
Ensure that carbon removal claims are consistent with a net carbon-negative outcome based on a cradle-to-grave LCA. The LCA must conservatively quantify all GHG emissions associated with the full suite of inputs and products from the project.
Measure and monitor, where appropriate, the impact of the project on other GHG pathways (e.g., methanogenesis, nitrogen cycle).
Identify the source of metals, such as calcium and magnesium, that are contributing to mineral formation. Include the carbon impact of the metal source in the project’s MRV.
Document the degree of heterogeneity or homogeneity in industrial waste or mineral feedstocks and quantify its effect on measurement certainty and life cycle impacts.
Project developers should
Identify all carbon reservoirs and monitor carbon movement between reservoirs with appropriate tools (e.g., tracer, isotopic studies).
Use cost assessments and LCAs that clearly identify and differentiate continuously produced and stockpiled industrial feedstocks.
Include cross verification with redundancy (e.g., cross referencing gas, liquid, and solid phase fluxes with mass balances).
Supplement and calibrate modeling with direct physical and/or chemical evidence of mineralization.
Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Use the best available measurement methods and tools to directly measure carbon stocks and fluxes in materials.
Disclose any modeling tools used to supplement and inform measurements, along with information on model validation, calibration, and uncertainty.
Ensure that carbon removal claims are consistent with a net carbon-negative outcome based on a cradle-to-grave LCA. The LCA must conservatively quantify all GHG emissions associated with the full suite of inputs and products from the project.
Measure and monitor, where appropriate, the impact of the project on other GHG pathways (e.g., methanogenesis, nitrogen cycle).
Identify the source of metals, such as calcium and magnesium, that are contributing to mineral formation. Include the carbon impact of the metal source in the project’s MRV.
Document the degree of heterogeneity or homogeneity in industrial waste or mineral feedstocks and quantify its effect on measurement certainty and life cycle impacts.
Project developers should
Identify all carbon reservoirs and monitor carbon movement between reservoirs with appropriate tools (e.g., tracer, isotopic studies).
Use cost assessments and LCAs that clearly identify and differentiate continuously produced and stockpiled industrial feedstocks.
Include cross verification with redundancy (e.g., cross referencing gas, liquid, and solid phase fluxes with mass balances).
Supplement and calibrate modeling with direct physical and/or chemical evidence of mineralization.
Carbon mineralization
Durability
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Implement downstream use and/or storage pathways for the carbonated materials that minimize the likelihood of reversal.
Project developers should
Include reversal risks for both solid and aqueous carbon in MRV plans.
Implement release scenarios and mitigation plans that reflect the anticipated impacts of climate change and changes in land use or water reservoir development, when relevant.
Include feedstock supply and/or subsurface reservoir capacity and injectivity when planning large-scale mineralization projects.
Durability
Durability
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Implement downstream use and/or storage pathways for the carbonated materials that minimize the likelihood of reversal.
Project developers should
Include reversal risks for both solid and aqueous carbon in MRV plans.
Implement release scenarios and mitigation plans that reflect the anticipated impacts of climate change and changes in land use or water reservoir development, when relevant.
Include feedstock supply and/or subsurface reservoir capacity and injectivity when planning large-scale mineralization projects.
Durability
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Implement downstream use and/or storage pathways for the carbonated materials that minimize the likelihood of reversal.
Project developers should
Include reversal risks for both solid and aqueous carbon in MRV plans.
Implement release scenarios and mitigation plans that reflect the anticipated impacts of climate change and changes in land use or water reservoir development, when relevant.
Include feedstock supply and/or subsurface reservoir capacity and injectivity when planning large-scale mineralization projects.
Durability
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Implement downstream use and/or storage pathways for the carbonated materials that minimize the likelihood of reversal.
Project developers should
Include reversal risks for both solid and aqueous carbon in MRV plans.
Implement release scenarios and mitigation plans that reflect the anticipated impacts of climate change and changes in land use or water reservoir development, when relevant.
Include feedstock supply and/or subsurface reservoir capacity and injectivity when planning large-scale mineralization projects.
Carbon mineralization
Leakage
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify the impact of the project on land use, especially when project infrastructure encroaches on high-value land use.
Ensure that any new energy needed for mineralization operations does not extend demand, or create new demand, for emissions-intensive energy.
Integrate project activities into active mining processes in a way that causes minimal disruption to or influence on current or future mining outputs, where applicable.
Project developers should
Quantify the project’s production of valuable coproducts and, for retrofits to pre-existing industrial facilities, provide evidence of the historic volume of production.
Include the size and distance to market or area of application for projects in the built environment.
Leakage
Leakage
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify the impact of the project on land use, especially when project infrastructure encroaches on high-value land use.
Ensure that any new energy needed for mineralization operations does not extend demand, or create new demand, for emissions-intensive energy.
Integrate project activities into active mining processes in a way that causes minimal disruption to or influence on current or future mining outputs, where applicable.
Project developers should
Quantify the project’s production of valuable coproducts and, for retrofits to pre-existing industrial facilities, provide evidence of the historic volume of production.
Include the size and distance to market or area of application for projects in the built environment.
Leakage
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify the impact of the project on land use, especially when project infrastructure encroaches on high-value land use.
Ensure that any new energy needed for mineralization operations does not extend demand, or create new demand, for emissions-intensive energy.
Integrate project activities into active mining processes in a way that causes minimal disruption to or influence on current or future mining outputs, where applicable.
Project developers should
Quantify the project’s production of valuable coproducts and, for retrofits to pre-existing industrial facilities, provide evidence of the historic volume of production.
Include the size and distance to market or area of application for projects in the built environment.
Leakage
Carbon mineralization
These criteria build on and extend the considerations included under the essential principles for high-quality CDR.
Project developers must
Quantify the impact of the project on land use, especially when project infrastructure encroaches on high-value land use.
Ensure that any new energy needed for mineralization operations does not extend demand, or create new demand, for emissions-intensive energy.
Integrate project activities into active mining processes in a way that causes minimal disruption to or influence on current or future mining outputs, where applicable.
Project developers should
Quantify the project’s production of valuable coproducts and, for retrofits to pre-existing industrial facilities, provide evidence of the historic volume of production.
Include the size and distance to market or area of application for projects in the built environment.
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