New Europe CDR Modeling: Afforestation, ERW Can Make DAC Unnecessary
A new study published on arXiv (Fernandes et al., March 2026) extends the sector-coupled European energy system model PyPSA-Eur to include four CDR pathways that most previous models have ignored or underweighted: afforestation, perennialisation, biochar, and enhanced rock weathering (ERW). The results are striking — and structurally important for anyone thinking about CDR deployment priorities in Europe. The Core Finding: CDR Makes the System 9% Cheaper The model, run at 3-hourly resolution across 90 European nodes, finds that a climate-neutral energy system equipped with these CDR strategies is 9% less expensive than an equivalent system that relies only on direct electrification and point-source capture. ...