coastal impact
UH study finds Gulf Coast best positioned for emerging carbon removal technology
The Gulf Coast is an ideal spot for deploying a new ocean-based carbon removal technology that uses seawater to capture and store carbon dioxide, according to a new study from the University of Houston.
The study was led by UH Cullen College of Engineering Professor Mim Rahimi and published in Nature’s Communications Sustainability journal. Abdelrahman Refaie, a PhD student at UH, authored the paper. It aimed to develop a plan for implementing an electrochemical marine carbon dioxide removal (e-mCDR) technology that treats seawater to increase the ocean’s ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the air.
Currently, oceans absorb about 30 percent of human-produced carbon dioxide emissions each year, according to UH, making it a great natural resource for carbon removal.
The team at UH scouted and analyzed 38 coastal facilities across the U.S.—including power plants, desalination plants, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals—before determining the Gulf Coast as an attractive option. The South Hub, or the Gulf Coast along Texas and Louisiana, ranked the top-performing area for the technology due to the industrial infrastructure, affordable electricity, hydrogen transportation and storage networks.
Other regions like California and the Northeast also scored well due to their clean energy mix and carbon removal potential, according to UH.
“The South hub has one of the highest diversity factors between power plants, desalination and LNG,” Refaie said in a news release. “That means if, logistically, down the road LNG is not open for this implementation, then we have another option in the area. It reduces the risk factor.”
UH says the findings show how companies could commercialize the technology, which could boost coastal economies.
“The question we had wasn’t technical, rather, it was logistical in regard to implementation down the road,” Rahimi said. “This would be a roadmap if a company or the government wants to utilize this technology.”
Rahimi aims to increase awareness about e-mCDR technology and its potential impact. He recently discussed the ocean-centric carbon removal work with members of Congress in March at the Carbon to Sea’s 2026 Hill Day.
“I think faculty at the University of Houston can do more of this kind of work,” Rahimi said in a separate release. “Meeting with Members of Congress gives us a chance to help policymakers better understand the science and engineering happening at our university. That kind of engagement is an important part of moving new technologies forward. It also shows how the work we do on campus can have a real impact on communities beyond the university.”