Reversing Climate Change 390: The Endless Pursuit of Alkalinity—w/ Omar Sadoon, Planetary Technologies
Mar 16, 2026
Omar Sadoon, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Planetary Technologies and former mental health nurse, talks about ocean alkalinity enhancement and the logistics of sourcing and moving alkaline materials. He covers site selection, life-cycle constraints, lessons from Cornwall and Tufts Cove, community engagement, and why relationships and measurement matter in scaling alkalinity-based carbon removal.
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Logistics Drive Net Removal Outcomes
- Source-to-site logistics and transport efficiency are as decisive as chemistry for net carbon removals.
- Omar describes tradeoffs between distance, transport mode (rail vs truck), and upstream energy that shift LCA and economics.
Ocean Site Choice Determines Efficiency
- Ocean efficiency depends on choosing sites with strong mixing and appropriate depth to maximize carbon uptake per unit alkalinity.
- Omar says ocean science identifies high-circulation zones where additions convert to uptake more effectively.
Optimize Material Properties Before Big Capex
- Pull operational levers (particle size, leaching tech) to improve material efficiency and reduce emissions rather than relying solely on geographic fixes.
- Omar notes material changes can raise efficiency more cheaply than high-capex infrastructure early on.