Synthetic Carbon
Materials
TTS v1.0 - Annex I
Synthetic Carbon Materials converts captured CO₂ directly into stable solid carbon products - carbon fibre, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbon black - through electrochemical or thermochemical reduction. Rather than storing carbon underground, this pathway locks it into durable manufactured materials with verified service lives, embedding atmospheric or industrial CO₂ into products used in aerospace composites, construction reinforcement, batteries, and industrial rubber and pigments.
Submit SCM Project View TTS v1.0 Annex I →How this pathway works
Synthetic Carbon Materials pathways convert captured CO₂ into solid elemental or near-elemental carbon products through electrochemical reduction (applying an electric potential to split CO₂ into carbon and oxygen, typically in a molten salt or aqueous electrolyte) or thermochemical conversion (high-temperature decomposition, often catalytically assisted). The resulting carbon is fashioned into engineered materials - carbon fibre for structural composites, few-layer graphene for electronics and coatings, carbon nanotubes for advanced materials, or carbon black for tyres, rubber, and pigments - each carrying the converted CO₂ within the finished product's molecular structure.
Under the Teravent Technology-Based Carbon Standard (TTS v1.0) Annex I, Synthetic Carbon Materials projects earn Teravent Technology Credits of the Removal type (TTC-R) for verified net tonnes of CO₂ converted to stable solid carbon products, net of full lifecycle project emissions. Unlike geological or mineral storage pathways, durability here is a function of the manufactured product's own service life - meaning the strength of the carbon credit claim depends directly on independent engineering verification of how long the specific product will remain in use before disposal, recycling, or degradation.
Three methodology variants are approved under Annex I, differentiated by the target carbon material and its typical end-use application. Each requires product-specific service-life documentation, since durability class is assigned per application rather than per methodology alone.
TTS v1.0 - Annex I
This pathway is governed exclusively by the Teravent Technology-Based Carbon Standard (TTS v1.0). No external registry, standard, or methodology is referenced or incorporated. All requirements - additionality, quantification, durability, safeguards, and credit issuance - are defined within TTS v1.0 and Annex I specifically.
Three approved methodology variants
TTS v1.0 Annex I approves three discrete methodology types for the Synthetic Carbon Materials pathway, differentiated by the target carbon product and its typical end-use application. All three require a documented, independently assessed product service life to determine the durability class assigned at credit issuance.
Carbon fibre produced from CO₂-derived carbon (via electrochemical reduction to a carbon precursor, followed by spinning and carbonisation) is woven into structural composites for aerospace fuselage components, automotive body panels, or construction reinforcement. These applications typically carry the longest documented service lives of any synthetic carbon material, particularly aerospace-grade composites subject to rigorous engineering certification and multi-decade operational tracking.
- CO₂ mass converted to carbon precursor per production batch, verified by mass balance and material composition analysis
- Independent engineering service-life assessment specific to the end-use application (aerospace, automotive, or construction)
- Electrochemical cell energy consumption per tonne carbon produced, logged for lifecycle deduction
- Product distribution and installation tracking to the specific end-use application claimed
- End-of-life disposition monitoring - recycling, incineration, or landfill - since this affects long-term carbon retention
Molten salt or aqueous electrolysis can reduce CO₂ directly to few-layer graphene or carbon nanotube structures, which find use in battery electrodes, protective coatings, structural composite additives, and electronic components. Service life varies substantially by application - battery electrode material may see a 10–15 year product life, while graphene incorporated into permanent structural coatings or embedded in concrete or composite matrices can achieve multi-decade service lives, requiring careful application-specific documentation.
- CO₂ mass converted per production batch, verified by mass balance and material composition analysis (Raman spectroscopy or equivalent)
- Independent engineering service-life assessment specific to the declared end-use application (battery, coating, composite additive)
- Electrolysis cell energy consumption per tonne material produced, logged for lifecycle deduction
- Worker exposure monitoring for nanomaterial handling per occupational health and safety protocol
- Product distribution and end-of-life disposition tracking
Carbon black - a fine particulate carbon product used as a reinforcing filler in tyres and rubber goods, and as a pigment in inks, coatings, and plastics - is conventionally produced from incomplete combustion of petroleum or coal-derived feedstocks. This methodology instead thermochemically decomposes captured CO₂ (often via methane pyrolysis using CO₂-derived syngas, or direct thermal reduction) to produce an equivalent carbon black product, substituting for the fossil-derived material while embedding the converted CO₂ in the manufactured good.
- CO₂ mass converted per production batch, verified by mass balance and carbon black grade analysis (ASTM particle size/structure standards)
- Product category service-life documentation (typical tyre wear-out period, rubber good lifespan) per end-use category
- Thermochemical process energy consumption logged for lifecycle deduction
- Fossil-derived carbon black displacement volume, to substantiate the substitution claim where relevant
- End-of-life disposition tracking - incineration of tyres/rubber releases the embedded carbon, requiring credit expiry at documented end of service life
Which emission sources must be counted
TTS v1.0 Module 3 requires a full lifecycle GHG emissions inventory within the project boundary, deducted from gross converted CO₂ to arrive at the Net TTC figure.
Measurement, reporting
& verification
Teravent's Science Advisory Board assesses each pathway against four MRV dimensions. Conversion quantification is high confidence given controlled batch production, but service-life confidence varies significantly by application - the single largest driver of buffer pool rate variation across the pathway.
Converted CO₂ mass is quantified through mass balance analysis at the conversion cell or reactor, cross-checked against material composition analysis of the finished carbon product (elemental analysis, Raman spectroscopy for graphitic materials, or ASTM standard test methods for carbon black) to confirm the carbon content matches the claimed CO₂ conversion. The defining MRV challenge for this pathway is service-life verification - an independent engineering assessment specific to the declared end-use application is required at registration, distinguishing this pathway from geological or mineral storage where physical containment can be directly monitored. Chain-of-custody tracking to the product's actual installation and, ultimately, its end-of-life disposition, is required throughout the crediting period.
Demonstrating additionality
TTS v1.0 Module 2 requires all projects to pass a three-test additionality framework, with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) screen applied ahead of the common practice test. Most Synthetic Carbon Materials technologies remain pre-commercial or early commercial, giving this pathway very high additionality clarity relative to more mature TTS pathways.
Leakage types & deductions
TTS v1.0 Module 3 defines three leakage types applicable across all engineered pathways. Synthetic Carbon Materials projects are primarily subject to energy-source leakage and a market-substitution consideration unique to this pathway.
Buffer pool & durability class
Durability class for Annex I credits is determined by the documented, independently verified service life of the specific end-use application - not by the underlying carbon material technology alone. Buffer pool rates scale inversely with service-life confidence.
| Methodology / Application | Typical Durability Class | Buffer Pool Rate | Primary Reversal Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCM-M01 Aerospace/Construction Composite | Class II (50+ yr) | 7–15% | Premature component failure or decommissioning ahead of design life |
| SCM-M02 Structural Coating/Additive | Class II (50+ yr) | 15–20% | Application-specific uncertainty; less established long-term performance data |
| SCM-M02 Battery Electrode | Class I (10–15 yr) | 25–30% | Shorter product life; battery recycling releases embedded carbon |
| SCM-M03 Carbon Black (Tyre/Rubber) | Class I (10–100 yr) | 15–35% | Product wear cycle and disposal releases embedded carbon at end of service life |
Key registration criteria
Projects must meet all of the following minimum requirements to qualify for registration under TTS Annex I. Additional methodology-specific requirements are detailed in the Annex I methodology tables for each SCM-M code.
Sustainable Development
Goal alignment
All Teravent registered Synthetic Carbon Materials projects must complete an SDG impact assessment at registration and at each verification period. Three SDGs are systematically tracked for this pathway. Projects may apply for co-benefit quality labels where independently verified indicators are met.
Deployment scope: Global, concentrated near advanced manufacturing hubs with access to low-carbon electricity and existing carbon fibre, graphene, or carbon black production infrastructure - currently most active in East Asia, Western Europe, and North America.
Ready to register your
synthetic carbon project?
Submit a Project Concept Note under TTS v1.0 Annex I to begin your registration. Select the SCM-M code matching your target carbon material, commission an independent service-life assessment for your specific end-use application, and appoint an accredited VVB to validate your PDD.