Spark is pleased to announce the award of a new methane removal research grant to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This grant is in response to the solicitation Spark issued earlier this year to advance scientific understanding of chlorine-mediated methane removal pathways.

The new project, led by MIT researchers Jesse Kroll and Arlene Fiore, will scope and develop the experimental design for a larger effort focused on understanding key atmospheric chemistry processes relevant to potential chlorine-mediated methane removal approaches, including iron salt aerosol and other pathways. As the first phase of a broader research effort, this work will identify the laboratory studies needed to provide the modeling community with data to assess whether, and under what conditions, chlorine-mediated methane removal could reduce the atmospheric lifetime of methane, have a net climate benefit, and what potential impacts may result. A subsequent phase, anticipated to kick-off later this year, will carry out the laboratory studies.

Leading a collaborative, multi-institution effort, the MIT team will develop an experimental design directly informed from the onset by the needs of the atmospheric modeling community. This multi-phased approach will enable the scientific community to assess whether chlorine-mediated methane removal approaches warrant further research and development.

Why Research Methane Removal?

Methane emissions from human activities are responsible for around 30% (~0.5 °C) of global warming since preindustrial times and are a major contributor to air pollution. Absent action, methane’s impact will continue to grow. Existing mitigation strategies could cut human-driven emissions in half, which would deliver rapid climate and health benefits given methane’s short atmospheric lifetime. However, major gaps in science and solutions remain, including around hard-to-abate emissions sources and climate feedbacks such as rising methane emissions from permafrost thaw and tropical wetlands, as well as changes to methane’s atmospheric lifetime.

This new grant is part of Spark’s methane removal program, which has supported more than 27 research grants with more than $8 million in funding to accelerate the assessment of the viability of methane removal as part of the climate solutions portfolio.

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Spark is pleased to announce the award of a new methane removal research grant to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This grant is in response to the solicitation Spark issued earlier this year to advance scientific understanding of chlorine-mediated methane removal pathways.

The new project, led by MIT researchers Jesse Kroll and Arlene Fiore, will scope and develop the experimental design for a larger effort focused on understanding key atmospheric chemistry processes relevant to potential chlorine-mediated methane removal approaches, including iron salt aerosol and other pathways. As the first phase of a broader research effort, this work will identify the laboratory studies needed to provide the modeling community with data to assess whether, and under what conditions, chlorine-mediated methane removal could reduce the atmospheric lifetime of methane, have a net climate benefit, and what potential impacts may result. A subsequent phase, anticipated to kick-off later this year, will carry out the laboratory studies.

Leading a collaborative, multi-institution effort, the MIT team will develop an experimental design directly informed from the onset by the needs of the atmospheric modeling community. This multi-phased approach will enable the scientific community to assess whether chlorine-mediated methane removal approaches warrant further research and development.

Why Research Methane Removal?

Methane emissions from human activities are responsible for around 30% (~0.5 °C) of global warming since preindustrial times and are a major contributor to air pollution. Absent action, methane’s impact will continue to grow. Existing mitigation strategies could cut human-driven emissions in half, which would deliver rapid climate and health benefits given methane’s short atmospheric lifetime. However, major gaps in science and solutions remain, including around hard-to-abate emissions sources and climate feedbacks such as rising methane emissions from permafrost thaw and tropical wetlands, as well as changes to methane’s atmospheric lifetime.

This new grant is part of Spark’s methane removal program, which has supported more than 27 research grants with more than $8 million in funding to accelerate the assessment of the viability of methane removal as part of the climate solutions portfolio.

‍

Spark is pleased to announce the award of a new methane removal research grant to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This grant is in response to the solicitation Spark issued earlier this year to advance scientific understanding of chlorine-mediated methane removal pathways.

The new project, led by MIT researchers Jesse Kroll and Arlene Fiore, will scope and develop the experimental design for a larger effort focused on understanding key atmospheric chemistry processes relevant to potential chlorine-mediated methane removal approaches, including iron salt aerosol and other pathways. As the first phase of a broader research effort, this work will identify the laboratory studies needed to provide the modeling community with data to assess whether, and under what conditions, chlorine-mediated methane removal could reduce the atmospheric lifetime of methane, have a net climate benefit, and what potential impacts may result. A subsequent phase, anticipated to kick-off later this year, will carry out the laboratory studies.

Leading a collaborative, multi-institution effort, the MIT team will develop an experimental design directly informed from the onset by the needs of the atmospheric modeling community. This multi-phased approach will enable the scientific community to assess whether chlorine-mediated methane removal approaches warrant further research and development.

Why Research Methane Removal?

Methane emissions from human activities are responsible for around 30% (~0.5 °C) of global warming since preindustrial times and are a major contributor to air pollution. Absent action, methane’s impact will continue to grow. Existing mitigation strategies could cut human-driven emissions in half, which would deliver rapid climate and health benefits given methane’s short atmospheric lifetime. However, major gaps in science and solutions remain, including around hard-to-abate emissions sources and climate feedbacks such as rising methane emissions from permafrost thaw and tropical wetlands, as well as changes to methane’s atmospheric lifetime.

This new grant is part of Spark’s methane removal program, which has supported more than 27 research grants with more than $8 million in funding to accelerate the assessment of the viability of methane removal as part of the climate solutions portfolio.

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