For millennia, the ocean's natural ability to absorb carbon has balanced our climate, fueling marine life. But today, rising emissions are pushing the seas to their limit: they're 30% more acidic than before the Industrial Revolution, threatening ecosystems from plankton to coral reefs.
Enter Stefano Capello and Sicily-based startup Limenet. Working in the Port of Augusta—once dubbed the "Triangle of Death" for its heavy petrochemical pollution—they've harnessed one of Earth's most abundant materials: limestone, to turbocharge nature's own carbon-capture process.
In nature, carbonic acid weathers rock over millions of years, releasing bicarbonate and calcium into the ocean, locking away CO2 for millennia. Limenet's innovation shrinks that timeline from eons to just four minutes, using a modular reactor to dissolve limestone at scale.
Their pilot plant captures 800 tons of CO2 each year—a drop in the ocean compared to the 20 billion tons scientists say we need to trap annually to reverse climate change. But the potential is enormous: with limestone making up 7% of Earth's crust, doubling global limestone production could let this tech remove over 1 billion tons of CO2 every year.
Looking ahead, Limenet plans to deploy its first commercial reactor in early 2026, offering a scalable tool to heal our atmosphere and oceans in harmony with nature. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes, the solutions to our greatest challenges lie in the Earth beneath our feet.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
