The global community is facing an urgent and multifaceted challenge - the need to combat climate change while meeting the growing demand for energy and ensuring sustainable management of resources. To address this critical issue, there is an imperative to develop innovative and integrated solutions that mitigate carbon emissions, harness renewable energy sources, and minimize waste in a circular economy framework. In response to this pressing need, we propose the BRINE-CARB project, an ambitious endeavour that integrates multiple key components into a unified, sustainable solution for carbon capture and utilization as well as wastewater valorisation.

The BRINE-CARB project is positioned at the intersection of environmental conservation, renewable energy utilization, and sustainable industrial processes. It is tailored to address two critical goals: the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the valorisation of waste streams for a more circular and resource-efficient approach.
The project's prime objective is to transcend the existing state of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies by accelerating the time to market using cost-effective and abundant materials, notably brines sourced from water desalination processes and commercial sodium hydroxide (NaOH).

Desalination techniques employ various methods like distillation, membrane separation, and reverse osmosis to remove salts from water, yielding purified water suitable for consumption and industrial applications. However, a byproduct of these processes is the concentrated wastewater, known as brine, which accumulates the rejected salts. The disposal of brine poses significant environmental and economic challenges for desalination plants. Conventional disposal methods, such as direct discharge into water bodies, carry substantial environmental risks and are not viable in the long run. Indeed, many industries encounter difficulties in discharging mixed and polluted brines. The BRINE-CARB project will also address these challenges to facilitate the sustainable management of brine disposal. By repurposing brine for carbon capture and mineralization, BRINE-CARB aims to offer a solution that not only mitigates environmental risks but also adds value to the byproduct.