Participants

Aaron Silas Jajjawi, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Bachelor of Science in "Environmental Engineering" (RWTH Aachen University)

Master of Science in "Environmental Engineering" with a focus on "Environmental Process Engineering" (RWTH Aachen University)

Ongoing PhD (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

Dissertation Topic:

Location-Based System Solutions for CO2 Capture from the Air Using Adsorption Technology

Fascination and Motivation:

"Next to emission mitigation measures, negative emission technologies (NETs) will play a vital role in combating climate change. Among the different NETs, DAC is promising in terms of its efficiency and scalability. The complex nature of the adsorption process provides ample room for creative ideas regarding the design of the process."

Amirali Salehi, PhD Student

Constanze Baust, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Law (University of Leipzig)

Dissertation Topic:

"My fields of research are international and European environmental law and my task in the DACStorE project is to research the law governing Direct Air Capture and Storage (DACCS) operations. I'm conducting a legal comparison between German and Canadian environmental law regarding DACCS. In doing so, I will identify similarities and differences and draw conclusions for national and international law."

Fascination and Motivation:

"I was already interested in public law during my studies and decided I want to delve deeper into the field of international and European environmental law. I'm also interested in current climate policy issues. Writing my dissertation on a legal framework for DACCS covers all these interests. I'm motivated by the urgency and importance of developing a legal and policy framework that enables and supports DACCS, but also takes into account its potential environmental, social and economic impacts."

Emil Pashayev, PhD Student

Henrik Wenzel, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Bachelor of Science in "Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration" (RWTH Aachen University)
Master of Science in "Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration" with a focus on “Energy Engineering” and “Operations Research and Management” (RWTH Aachen University)
Ongoing PhD (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

Dissertation Topic:

Techno-economic Potentials of the Water-conscious Production of Green Hydrogen and Methanol

Dissertation Summary:

"Regions with high renewable energy potentials often coincide with regions suffering from water-scarcity. Therefore, the production of important energy carriers like hydrogen and methanol could be hindered by the availability of water resources. To not compete with drinking water resources, I investigate the potentials of a water-conscious production of green hydrogen and methanol in such regions. Therefore, I model a process chain consisting of adsorption-based DAC for CO2 and H2O supply, electrolysis and methanol synthesis and connect it to an energy system model. Based on the available renewable energy potentials in the considered regions, I derive the technical potentials of green hydrogen and methanol production in different regions as well as the costs derived from a techno-economic optimization."

Fascination and motivation:

"I find the research area of energy systems analysis quiet interesting as there are many complex relationships which need to be analyzed and it is an important tool to contribute to the success of the energy transition. I am deeply convinced that we will need synthetic energy carriers like hydrogen and methanol in the future and that it will be beneficial to produce them in regions where the renewable energy potentials are significant. To do so in a socially acceptable way is very important and I hope to contribute to that by analyzing the potentials of this innovative process chain."

Jan Gutsch, PhD Student

Kenneth Okosun, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Bachelor of Technology in "Applied Geophysics" (Federal University of Technology Akure)
Master of Science in "Petroleum Engineering" with a focus on "Geoscience" (Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology)
Ongoing PhD (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

Dissertation Topic:

Global techno-economic potential of Direct Air Capture and Storage Technology to Realize Greenhouse Gas-Neutrality

Dissertation Summary:

"In addition to phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy sources, addressing hard-to-abate emissions is crucial for achieving greenhouse gas neutrality. Direct capture of CO2 out of the air combined with underground storage can be an essential puzzle piece within the negative emission pathways. However, the efficient operation of Direct Air Capture and Storage (DACS) facilities depends on various site-specific factors. Some of these factors include the site-specific assessments of renewable energy potential, the impact of local climate conditions on capture efficiency and global CO2 underground storage potentials. Accounting for these site-specific factors, I am developing a model-based, site-specific global potential map of DACS for different technologies to minimize energy and cost.”

Fascination and Motivation:

"Drawing on my background in Geoscience, I understand the detrimental impacts of long-standing fossil fuel usage on the environment. I aim to leverage my scientific background to explore ways to mitigate these effects through research on negative emissions. By identifying optimal siting conditions and locations, my research can contribute to the large-scale deployment of DACS essential to achieving greenhouse gas neutrality.”

Lavinia Reitz, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Bachelor of Science in "Physics" (University of Bonn)

Master of Science in "Physics" with a focus on researching Airborne Wind Energy resource potentials in Europe (University of Bonn)

Ongoing PhD (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

Dissertation Topic:

Prospective Life Cycle and Sustainability Assessment of Emerging Direct Air Capture Technologies coupled with Underground CO2 Storage

Dissertation Summary:

Negative carbon emissions are an integral part of the future pathways limiting global warming to 2 °C outlined by the IPCC. Using Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology to capture CO2 from ambient air combined with permanent CO2 Storage (DACS) promises net negative CO2 emissions and thus a direct and measurable climate benefit. The IPCC foresees a potential to remove up to 339 Gt CO2 between 2020 and 2100 via DACS. Currently, pilot facilities around the world remove CO2 at kilo tonne scale every year and there is a significant challenge in scaling-up. Rigorous carbon accounting of any pilot facility is necessary to confirm its carbon credits. In addition, shifting the climate burdens to other environmental areas must be avoided, which can be quantified by applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. More holistic sustainability assessments consider the economic and social perspective in addition to the environmental perspective of LCA. However, comprehensive LCAs and, in broader context, sustainability assessments of various DAC technologies as well as a future perspective are rarely found in the small number of current assessments. Consequently, this PhD includes environmental, social and economic points of view in so-called Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) to evaluate the sustainability of future DACS systems.

Fascination and Motivation:

"We need sustainable solutions to the problems we are facing, not only – but especially – when concerning climate change mitigation. LCA and LCSA research can steer the much needed technology development in a sustainable direction. The impact we can have with this research in the long-term is mind-blowing to me – and a constant motivation to do it, and do it right."

Liang Liang, PhD Student

Lutong Lu, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Bachelor of Science in "Chemistry" (Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg)

Master of Science in "Chemistry" (KIT)

Ongoing PhD (KIT)

Dissertation Topic:

CO₂ recovery from ambient air with electrochemically regenerable solid adsorbers based on electroactive polymers

Fascination and Motivation:

Negative emissions technology plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges of global warming. I am proud to have contributed to the research and development of this vital technology, making my meaningful contribution to the sustainable future of humanity.

Patrick Behr, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Bachelor of Science in "Geoscience" (University of Bonn)

Master of Science in "Applied Geoscience/Geomaterials" (RWTH Aachen University)

Ongoing PhD (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

Dissertation Topic:

Development of porous solid sorbents for direct air capture

Fascination and Motivation:

"It started out with Geoscience - going outside, away from the usual places and seeing the system earth as a whole, with all its regulations and intertwined mechanisms. And from there it seemed to make sense to study something that helps taking care of said systems in a sustainable way."

Phillip Kahl, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Bachelor of Science in "Physics" with a focus on "Astrophysics and Atmospheric physics" (University of Cologne)
Master of Science in "Physics" with a focus on "Astrophysics and Atmospheric physics" (University of Cologne)
Ongoing PhD (Forschungszentrum Jülich)

Dissertation Topic:

Air Quality and Climate Impacts of Amine-Based Technologies of DAC of CO2

Dissertation Summary:

"Many technologies rely on volatile amines, derivatives of ammonia, to improve the efficiency of Direct Air Capture (DAC). Since parts of the used amines are assumed to be emitted into the atmosphere, full-scale DAC has the potential to be a major source of amines, which are known to be hazardous and support the formation of aerosols. To assess the atmospheric impact, I am performing global simulations to analyse the potential burden on human health and the radiative transfer."

Fascination and Motivation:

"After graduating from the University of Cologne, I was eager to shift the focus of my research more into the direction of atmospheric physics and curbing climate change. When the possibility arose to join the DACStorE project, I was interested right away, as this allowed me to be part of a fascinating and crucial research topic. Furthermore, the project itself allows me to establish and connect myself within both the atmospheric science and negative emission technology communities."

Robin Koch, PhD Student

Academic background:

Bachelor of Science in "Engineering Economics" with a focus on "Renewable Energies" (University of Applied Sciences Rottenburg)

Master of Science in "Engineering Economics" (University of Applied Sciences Rottenburg)

Ongoing PhD (KIT / Mercedes-Benz)

Dissertation Topic:

Industrialization of Direct Air Capture Technologies

Dissertation Summary:

Major hurdle for broad roll out of Direct Air Capture is the lack of industrialization of this technology. The question is how do you do this for a technology that just recently left lab scale and how do you reach a level of industrialization in a time frame of two decades which is unprecedented in any field of technology

Fascination and motivation:

"At one point you have to stop thinking about small lab scale and start thinking big. It is very interesting to have a deeper look into an industry that is currently taking this step and to observer how the do it, what works what does not work. Also the technology is highly important now and in the future. It's interesting to be part of an industry that has to be successful. Personally I am interested in this topic as I like to do my part about climate change."

Simon Spiegel, PhD Student

Tamino Bosse, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Abitur, Berlin

Bachelor of Science in "Chemistry" with a focus on inorganic chemistry, synthesis and catalysis chemistry to activate and convert CO₂ (Humboldt-University Berlin)

Master of Science in "Chemistry" with a focus on materials science in the field of batteries (Humboldt-University Berlin)

Ongoing PhD (Humboldt-University Berlin)

Dissertation Topic:

Mechanistic Investigations of the electrochemically mediated amine regeneration (EMAR) process for CO2 capture - Investigation on the precise mechanistic insights of the Cu/Cuz+ interfacial chemistry, the dynamic Cu2+/amine/CO2 at the surface and in bulk, and the degradation routes or unwanted parasitic faradaic currents.

Dissertation Summary:

In this project, we will use advanced in situ characterization methods and model experiments to advance the mechanistic understanding and guide development of improvements to the EMAR process. The effects of varied gas contents (decreased CO2 contents targeting 400 ppm, with the presence of O2 and N2) toward applying EMAR to direct air capture conditions, shall be further investigated. Development of an advanced reactor concept. This reactor will be based on porous electrodes fabricated in gas diffusion layers with the aim of separating the liquid sorbent and evolved gaseous CO2 transport channels, enhancing kinetics via improved mass transport and bubble avoidance. The goal is to reach 40 kJ/molCO2 or lower.

Fascination and motivation:

"I'm passionate about direct air carbon capture (DAC) because it offers a way to actively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, addressing both current and historical emissions. Even with significant emission reductions, the CO₂ already in the air will continue to impact the climate, and DAC can help reverse this.
I’m drawn to DAC's role in achieving net-zero emissions, especially for hard-to-eliminate sources like aviation. The technology's flexibility and scalability make it a versatile tool that can be deployed globally, making a real impact.
There are also exciting opportunities for innovation and job creation, as well as the potential to repurpose captured CO₂ into useful products. With growing policy support, it feels like the right time to be involved. Beyond the technical benefits, DAC also contributes to environmental justice, helping mitigate the impacts on communities that are most affected by climate change but contributed the least to it.
Overall, working on DAC feels like a meaningful way to make a positive difference for the planet and future generations."

Yifan Xu, PhD Student

Academic Background:

Bachelor of Science in "Environmental Science and Engineering" (Beijing Normal University & Hong Kong Baptist University United International College)

Master of Science in "Applied Environmental Geoscience" with a focus on "Hydrogeology" (Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen)

Ongoing PhD (Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ)

Dissertation Topic:

Developing a Site Screening Framework to Identify Optimal Locations in Germany with A Case Study Exploring Dynamic Modeling for Large-Scale CO₂ Storage

Dissertation Summary:

Due to the unique attribute of Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, which is not constrained by the proximity to emission sources, a novel site screening and ranking methodology is required to identify the most promising storage sites for DAC applications. To address this need, we developed a comprehensive site selection method and tested it based on storage conditions in the North German Basin and the North Sea. The selection methodology incorporates underground geological criteria as well as surface conditions to support the implementation of integrated DACCS systems in Germany. Furthermore, a case study focusing on large-scale CO₂ migration behavior was modeled using COMSOL, providing thermo-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) coupled simulations to evaluate the suitability of the assessed underground storage sites.

Fascination and Motivation:

With a broad educational background spanning environmental science to applied environmental geoscience, I have always been drawn to the interconnected nature of geosciences. The parallels between phenomena like CO₂ plume migration and groundwater flow in reservoirs exemplify the shared principles that underpin diverse geoscientific fields. What excites me most about this project is the opportunity to delve deeper into geoscience, particularly rock geophysics and flow dynamics. This focus not only aligns with my academic foundation but also fuels my passion for continuous learning and exploration in the geoscience world. Embracing the challenges of this project perfectly fits my personal aspirations, offering a pathway to expand my expertise while contributing to innovative solutions in carbon management.

alumni

Dominik Heß
Seyedehfatemeh Hosseini

Last Modified: 23.02.2025