Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) took part in this year’s SPEERI Annual Conference at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, delivering an interactive exhibition of cutting-edge carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. The team showcased a suite of demonstrations designed to bring academic research to life and spark meaningful conversations around Scotland’s net-zero future.
As part of the exhibition, visitors explored a VR experience that visualised the synthesis of metal organic frameworks used as adsorbents in direct air capture systems. They also examined calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate powders, and rock cores under a microscope, gaining insight into their structures and their role in enhanced rock weathering, an emerging CDR pathway. The display further highlighted seawater electrochemistry through a model electrolyser and accompanying poster, illustrating how electrification and green electricity production can contribute to industrial decarbonisation. Alongside the hands-on activities, the team presented a curated set of online CDR course materials available on Heriot-Watt’s website, offering attendees a broader learning experience on carbon removal technologies.
The SPEERI conference emphasised a key message: the importance of collaboration at scale. As highlighted in the conference wrap-up, Scotland’s future in energy and engineering “will be shaped not by isolated efforts, but by collaboration at scale.”
By combining cutting-edge CDR research with immersive and accessible demonstrations, the RCCS showcase stood out as an example of how academic innovation can support effective knowledge-exchange with industry and policymakers helping build momentum toward sustainable, technology-driven solutions for climate and energy challenges..
