Carbon Capture Services

LNER's Research and Innovation team is looking to procure a service that uses technology to directly capture carbon from the surrounding air of LNER locations, for example micro algae bio-reactors. The service is to provide relevant metrics and success measures of its activity.

LNER have successfully developed and piloted a solution via the Future Labs programme, but before going out to tender we wish to engage with the market to ensure that we are considering all relevant technology that currently is available or in development.

The Problem:

There are only 2 existing methods of carbon offsetting in the UK which are regulated by the UK government:

1. tree planting and 2) peatland restoration, both which require large areas of land. For LNER to offset our carbon emissions, we would need to plant over 40 million trees each year.

Additionally, between 2030-2050 the cost of carbon offsetting is estimated to increase by 256%, meaning current methods would not be viable, in addition to the scrutiny being placed on companies that claim carbon neutrality through planting trees. LNER have a limited amount of land available of varying size and shape in which to deploy carbon capture technology. We need to investigate new and efficient ways to decrease our carbon footprint through natural carbon capture methods that we can deploy across our varied estate.

The Challenge:

How might we:

Use our existing estate to capture carbon directly from the air so that the carbon is stored for the longest time possible?

Generate value from any by-product that is generated from the carbon capture process, so that the initiative helps to pay for itself?

Constraints: What the solution must work within

Must be able to be deployed at a scale

Must be a Carbon Net Positive solution (capturing more carbon in its lifespan than it takes to create)

Must be adaptable in how it is deployed, fitting into small, large and irregular shaped spaces

Must be as remote in operation as possible, meaning as little as human interaction as possible