Ebb Carbon’s efforts to bring a marine carbon dioxide (mCDR) removal pilot project to Port Angeles, Washington are advancing. The pilot project – called Project Macoma – recently became the first mCDR project to secure a first-of-its-kind National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit – paving the way for the project to operate safely and effectively while meeting rigorous environmental protections in one of the world’s most environmentally protected jurisdictions—Washington state.
What is Project Macoma?
Project Macoma is a temporary mCDR pilot project set to operate in Port Angeles Harbor for up to two years. During that time, it aims to remove up to 1,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere using Ebb Carbon’s innovative electrochemical technology and improve water quality in Port Angeles Harbor by addressing coastal acidification.
This project builds on over a year of successful work just down the road at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Sequim, Washington, where we’ve been collaborating with world-class scientists who are experts in biogeochemistry, ocean modeling, ocean acidification, and marine ecology to demonstrate and refine our technology. You can read more about our work at Sequim here.
A first-of-its-kind NPDES permit
The NPDES permit is a major achievement—not just for Ebb Carbon and its subsidiary developing the pilot project, but for the entire field of mCDR. It’s the first time any marine carbon dioxide removal project has been permitted under the Clean Water Act’s NPDES framework – which is designed to protect environmental and human health when discharges to federal waters occur.
This permit ensures that Project Macoma will operate safely, and it sets a new standard for how marine carbon removal projects can meet rigorous state and federal environmental protections while helping address climate change.
How We Got Here
Securing this first-of-its-kind permit—and the many others required for the project—was no small feat. In just nine months, Ebb Carbon worked with local, state, and federal regulators to obtain all required permits and approvals.
What made this possible? Early, often, and ongoing engagement with local Indian Tribes, regulators, and the community. For over two years, the team engaged with Washingtonians to understand the community’s needs and how our climate solution could best fit in. What we learned is that Washington state and its communities are looking for real solutions to both climate change and ocean acidification–interrelated problems that Ebb’s technology is uniquely suited to address. We designed Project Macoma from the very beginning to align with local priorities related to climate and ocean health and made adjustments as needed to strengthen project co-benefits.
What’s next
With permits secured, Project Macoma is ready to move forward. Over the next two years, we’ll work to meet or exceed the highest environmental standards and community commitments as we scale our efforts to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while improving local ocean health. We will follow rigorous monitoring and reporting obligations throughout the life of the project.
We see Project Macoma as more than just a pilot project—it’s a blueprint for how mCDR can be done responsibly, safely, and transparently around the world. And it’s just the beginning.