Our Nova Scotia project is based in Tufts Cove in Halifax.
Working with local utility Nova Scotia Power, we are undertaking a series of field trials that will add mineral alkalinity (more commonly known as antacid) to the existing water flow at the power generation station in Tufts Cove. The treated water is then released into Halifax Harbour through the plant’s infrastructure.
The goal of this project is to explore whether adding an antacid to the ocean is a safe and effective way of deacidifying seawater and capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).
For more information on how this process works, please see our science pages, and for information on how we maintain safety, see our safety pages.
A Note From Mike, Our CEO
For many of us at Planetary, Halifax is home.
We see and experience firsthand the impacts that climate change is having on our community: forest fires threaten homes and livelihoods; ocean warming and acidification threatens fisheries; and storms grow increasingly frequent and intense each year. At the same time, we also recognise that the idea of tackling climate change can feel overwhelming, complex, and a little scary. I’ve personally and directly experienced that anxiety.
The team at Planetary is determined to meet this challenge thoughtfully and carefully. The time to act is now, and yet, nature is complex. We need to act quickly, but we cannot act in haste. We believe that our ocean alkalinity enhancement process is a part of the solution to the puzzle, one which can help reduce ocean acidification in Halifax and reduce atmospheric CO2 levels. This project reflects our continued commitment to verifying that belief.
As we develop and test the process, my personal commitment is to listen carefully to Halifax community members and be fully transparent, so that all interested parties can participate in the co-development of potential projects.
What is the Project?
Planetary is working with Nova Scotia Power and independent researchers at Dalhousie University to conduct a multi-year study on Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) as a climate change solution.
The next stage of this study builds off the initial field trial that occurred in 2023 in Halifax Harbour and continues to evolve and refine the process whereby controlled amounts of antacid are used to neutralise CO2 in the seawater.
Trials like these allow oceanographers, biologists, and chemists to study our method of OAE, and to investigate whether it is possible to remove some of the CO2 pollution from Halifax Harbour and the Bedford Basin.
The antacid is shipped to the project site in dry, powdered form. It is added to a mixing tank, where it is hydrated into a slurry using seawater from the harbour. The slurry is then added to the existing outfall and carried into the receiving waters. Planetary’s Site Automation and Monitoring unit closely controls the seawater and slurry pumps, while also collecting and transmitting real-time monitoring data to Planetary site operators to ensure operational and environmental safety. Once released into the harbour, the antacid slurry neutralises dissolved CO2 and, over the course of weeks and months, the lower concentration of CO2 in the surface layer of the water draws CO2 from the atmosphere into the water.
Samples are taken regularly at several points upstream and downstream of the addition point and in the larger harbour. Continually operating sensors monitor the clarity, chemistry, and at certain locations the biological activity of the water throughout the system.
Field trials began at Tufts Cove in September 2023 and intermittent dosing continued for approximately two months. The trial then entered a data analysis period. Preliminary results have been shared and discussed publicly. Planetary continues to work closely with academics as well as carbon credit certification partners to validate carbon credits removed from the initial trial.
Why Here?
Halifax is a unique project site in part due to its direct connections with Planetary: our flagship office and laboratory is situated in Dartmouth, and a number Planetary team members live here, including our Chief Ocean Scientist.
That said, it was primarily chosen because of world class academic and community partnerships including Dalhousie University, Carbon to Sea (CtS), as well as the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE). Nova Scotia has been a world leader in ocean research and innovation for many decades, taking a leading role in marine-based climate action.
Additionally, the community of Halifax has set ambitious goals through the HalifACT Initiative with intentions to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050 demonstrating a desire to act and to build resilient communities in the face of climate change.
Together, these factors make Nova Scotia a great location to explore what it takes to become a global leader for OAE research and development.
Planetary’s work in the area builds upon the results of ocean trials that have been successfully conducted all around the world – in Australia, Florida, and the UK – as well as Planetary’s earlier research with Dalhousie University.
For frequently asked questions specific to this project, please visit our Nova Scotia FAQs.
What are the Intended Benefits of the Project in Halifax?
The Nova Scotia study seeks to refine the models that Dalhousie has developed and to validate the safety of Planetary’s OAE process. These carefully monitored trials will also contribute to the study of the role the Northwest Atlantic ocean plays in regulating climate patterns.
Over time, Planetary’s OAE process has the potential to provide the following benefits in Halifax:
Carbon dioxide will be removed from the atmosphere and stored safely for 100,000 years. This can help Halifax achieve its goals for permanent carbon removal as outlined in the HalifACT Initiative.
The reduction of local ocean acidity helps to protect the area from harmful increases in acidity due to global warming, including potential future damage to the fishing industry.
Planetary has been working with Dalhousie University and other groups at the forefront of the marine scientific community for years, and together we are transforming the Halifax area into one of the leading global hubs for ocean and climate health.
This research helps raise the profile of Halifax as a case study in addressing climate change and ocean acidification, increasing local discussion on all aspects of environmental conservation.
As Planetary builds upon our techniques, and in collaboration with the local community, we anticipate job creation in project management, operations, science, and verification. Long term, carbon removal is set to become a large and significant industry and Halifax is well positioned to become a leader in all forms of carbon removal in addition to ocean alkalinity enhancement.
Planetary’s collaboration with Dalhousie University and other leading ocean research organisations around the world provides students with excellent opportunities. Halifax is often considered a ‘University town’, and through guest lectures, seminars, and innumerable conversations, the Planetary team help inform and motivate students towards a new and exciting type of climate action emerging in their city. In addition to strictly theoretical learning, in-the-field experience, scholarship opportunities, and internships are all possible with the continued expansion of Planetary’s OAE work.
Local Oversight and Community Engagement
The Nova Scotia project plan is continually developed in collaboration with Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Power, and in consultation with municipal, provincial, and federal government bodies. In 2023, an Environmental Assessment Evaluation determined that there were no environmental assessment triggers for the overall trial and that it is not considered a modification to the Tufts Cove Generating Station cooling water discharge permit. Future larger trials may require an environmental assessment, and Planetary would follow all required processes to secure the permit, including all requirements for public comment.
Since the start of these field trials in 2023 – and for well over a year now – Planetary has been actively reaching out and engaging with Indigenous peoples and local communities. The goal of these outreach activities is to co-develop a plan for learning whether, and under what circumstances, we should proceed with deploying alkalinity additions at increasing scale in Halifax and around Nova Scotia over time.
We have reached out to Mi’kmaq First Nations and Indigenous programs and groups in the Halifax Harbour and the Bedford Basin region, as well as several fishing groups, and continue to invite active and early engagement with all community members to help shape our approach, both now and in the future.
Our collaboration with the community aims to go beyond what is typically required by law and convention to fully capture the unique concerns of local people. In support of these goals, we are working in collaboration with Carbon to Sea (CtS), Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), Dalhousie University on a Joint Learning Opportunity Initiative (JLO). The JLO’s goals are to provide a mechanism and funding to advance and evolve complimentary, OAE-focused research and development for the planned 2024 field trials. This includes accepting proposals aimed at local communities that are exploring Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Systems with the goal of evolving our collective understanding of MRV.
By actively investing and partnering in the community, we aim to establish a framework for co-creating a shared future of positive environmental impact in the Nova Scotia region.
Opportunities for Getting Involved
We encourage you to stay involved and in touch. Please see our Nova Scotia FAQs page for answers to questions that we have received from the local Nova Scotia community. If there is a topic that you would like to hear more about, or if you would like to set up a direct conversation, please contact us at NovaScotia_Project@planetarytech.com.