Life cycle assessment of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal approaches: A systematic literature review

Mona H. Delval, Nils Thonemann, Patrik J.G. Henriksson, Samantha E. Tanzer and Paul Behrens

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, vol. 224, issue C

Abstract: As climate impacts worsen, novel technologies to draw down atmospheric carbon are gaining attention. One such approach is ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (OCDR). However, the potential environmental side-effects of large-scale OCDR deployment remain understudied. Here, we present a systematic literature review of the life cycle assessments (LCAs) of OCDR approaches. We find that current OCDR LCAs have a limited scope, often overlook environmental impacts beyond global warming, and that LCA as a method is currently limited in capturing aquatic impacts. We provide several recommendations for future work, such as using a functional unit of storing atmospheric carbon over a specified time horizon and in a specified medium, performing cradle-to-grave analysis, including more (marine) environmental impacts, and estimating uncertainties. We also emphasise the need to develop the LCA methodology further for better assessing marine environment impacts.

Keywords: LCA; OCDR; Marine carbon dioxide removal; mCDR; Negative emission technologies; NETs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:rensus:v:224:y:2025:i:c:s1364032125007646

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DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.116091

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