Carbon Mineralisation
CO2 mineralisation is a carbon storage technique that traps carbon in solid mineral form as carbonates, using minerals like olivine and serpentine, and can be applied in geological formations or in industrial processes like steelmaking. This method, demonstrated in projects like CarbFix in Iceland, offers the safest form of Carbon Capture and Storage, providing permanent carbon removal and aiding in the decarbonisation of key industries.
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What is carbon dioxide mineralisation?
CO2 mineralisation is a carbon storage method that utilises a series of chemical reactions at the mineral-fluid interface to ensure permanent trapping of carbon in a solid mineral form as carbonates. Feedstocks typically consist of olivine, serpentine or pyroxene group minerals rich in divalent metal cations necessary to facilitate the carbonation reaction. This process can be applied in geological formations with a suitable rock composition, or in industrial operations such as steelmaking, construction, and metal extraction [1,2,3,4]. Current pilot scale demonstrations in CarbFix (Iceland) and Wallula (Washington, USA) have shown promising results (>90% of injected carbon has mineralised since injection) and represent significant strides towards achieving safe long-term CO2 sequestration [5].
How it removes GHG?
Mineralisation in geological reservoirs involves injection of concentrated industrial effluent streams or carbon captured via Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology into porous or fractured rock formations to induce reaction with the surrounding rock medium. Reactions can occur in both CO2-charged brines or supercritical CO2 domains. In either system, a low Ph fluid is produced which induces dissolution of silicate minerals to release the metal cations needed to form metal carbonates. The operation at CarbFix utilizes mixtures of CO2 gas with formational waters which are then re-injected into the subsurface as carbonated water. Alternatively, captured CO2 can be utilised in surface-engineered operations to produce carbonates at an industrial scale for commercial usage, or to extract the valuable metals such as nickel and cobalt contained within mafic minerals. However, these techniques are yet to be commercialised.
Community benefits:
Provides the safest method by which Carbon Capture and Storage can be implemented, thereby improving public perception of engineered carbon removal operations.
Provides permanent carbon removal which has large-scale implications for climate change mitigation.
Can aid in decarbonising integral industrial sectors, reducing the carbon footprint of consumers.
Can be used in tandem with enhanced rock weathering approaches, to counter soil leaching issues and improve farmland soil fertility.
What is carbon dioxide mineralisation?
CO2 mineralisation is a carbon storage method that utilises a series of chemical reactions at the mineral-fluid interface to ensure permanent trapping of carbon in a solid mineral form as carbonates. Feedstocks typically consist of olivine, serpentine or pyroxene group minerals rich in divalent metal cations necessary to facilitate the carbonation reaction. This process can be applied in geological formations with a suitable rock composition, or in industrial operations such as steelmaking, construction, and metal extraction [1,2,3,4]. Current pilot scale demonstrations in CarbFix (Iceland) and Wallula (Washington, USA) have shown promising results (>90% of injected carbon has mineralised since injection) and represent significant strides towards achieving safe long-term CO2 sequestration [5].
How it removes GHG?
Mineralisation in geological reservoirs involves injection of concentrated industrial effluent streams or carbon captured via Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology into porous or fractured rock formations to induce reaction with the surrounding rock medium. Reactions can occur in both CO2-charged brines or supercritical CO2 domains. In either system, a low Ph fluid is produced which induces dissolution of silicate minerals to release the metal cations needed to form metal carbonates. The operation at CarbFix utilizes mixtures of CO2 gas with formational waters which are then re-injected into the subsurface as carbonated water. Alternatively, captured CO2 can be utilised in surface-engineered operations to produce carbonates at an industrial scale for commercial usage, or to extract the valuable metals such as nickel and cobalt contained within mafic minerals. However, these techniques are yet to be commercialised.
Community benefits:
Provides the safest method by which Carbon Capture and Storage can be implemented, thereby improving public perception of engineered carbon removal operations.
Provides permanent carbon removal which has large-scale implications for climate change mitigation.
Can aid in decarbonising integral industrial sectors, reducing the carbon footprint of consumers.
Can be used in tandem with enhanced rock weathering approaches, to counter soil leaching issues and improve farmland soil fertility.
What is carbon dioxide mineralisation?
CO2 mineralisation is a carbon storage method that utilises a series of chemical reactions at the mineral-fluid interface to ensure permanent trapping of carbon in a solid mineral form as carbonates. Feedstocks typically consist of olivine, serpentine or pyroxene group minerals rich in divalent metal cations necessary to facilitate the carbonation reaction. This process can be applied in geological formations with a suitable rock composition, or in industrial operations such as steelmaking, construction, and metal extraction [1,2,3,4]. Current pilot scale demonstrations in CarbFix (Iceland) and Wallula (Washington, USA) have shown promising results (>90% of injected carbon has mineralised since injection) and represent significant strides towards achieving safe long-term CO2 sequestration [5].
How it removes GHG?
Mineralisation in geological reservoirs involves injection of concentrated industrial effluent streams or carbon captured via Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology into porous or fractured rock formations to induce reaction with the surrounding rock medium. Reactions can occur in both CO2-charged brines or supercritical CO2 domains. In either system, a low Ph fluid is produced which induces dissolution of silicate minerals to release the metal cations needed to form metal carbonates. The operation at CarbFix utilizes mixtures of CO2 gas with formational waters which are then re-injected into the subsurface as carbonated water. Alternatively, captured CO2 can be utilised in surface-engineered operations to produce carbonates at an industrial scale for commercial usage, or to extract the valuable metals such as nickel and cobalt contained within mafic minerals. However, these techniques are yet to be commercialised.
Community benefits:
Provides the safest method by which Carbon Capture and Storage can be implemented, thereby improving public perception of engineered carbon removal operations.
Provides permanent carbon removal which has large-scale implications for climate change mitigation.
Can aid in decarbonising integral industrial sectors, reducing the carbon footprint of consumers.
Can be used in tandem with enhanced rock weathering approaches, to counter soil leaching issues and improve farmland soil fertility.
What is carbon dioxide mineralisation?
CO2 mineralisation is a carbon storage method that utilises a series of chemical reactions at the mineral-fluid interface to ensure permanent trapping of carbon in a solid mineral form as carbonates. Feedstocks typically consist of olivine, serpentine or pyroxene group minerals rich in divalent metal cations necessary to facilitate the carbonation reaction. This process can be applied in geological formations with a suitable rock composition, or in industrial operations such as steelmaking, construction, and metal extraction [1,2,3,4]. Current pilot scale demonstrations in CarbFix (Iceland) and Wallula (Washington, USA) have shown promising results (>90% of injected carbon has mineralised since injection) and represent significant strides towards achieving safe long-term CO2 sequestration [5].
How it removes GHG?
Mineralisation in geological reservoirs involves injection of concentrated industrial effluent streams or carbon captured via Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology into porous or fractured rock formations to induce reaction with the surrounding rock medium. Reactions can occur in both CO2-charged brines or supercritical CO2 domains. In either system, a low Ph fluid is produced which induces dissolution of silicate minerals to release the metal cations needed to form metal carbonates. The operation at CarbFix utilizes mixtures of CO2 gas with formational waters which are then re-injected into the subsurface as carbonated water. Alternatively, captured CO2 can be utilised in surface-engineered operations to produce carbonates at an industrial scale for commercial usage, or to extract the valuable metals such as nickel and cobalt contained within mafic minerals. However, these techniques are yet to be commercialised.
Community benefits:
Provides the safest method by which Carbon Capture and Storage can be implemented, thereby improving public perception of engineered carbon removal operations.
Provides permanent carbon removal which has large-scale implications for climate change mitigation.
Can aid in decarbonising integral industrial sectors, reducing the carbon footprint of consumers.
Can be used in tandem with enhanced rock weathering approaches, to counter soil leaching issues and improve farmland soil fertility.
