Collaboration to maximise potential of mineralisation to capture CO2

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Scientists have secured funding to develop technologies that test and measure the amount of carbon dioxide that can be safely captured in volcanic rock via mineralisation.

Carbfix

Mineralisation is currently used in Iceland, where captured CO2 is dissolved in water and injected underground into volcanic rock through a pipeline. The reactivity of the basalt rock subsequently transforms the CO2 mixture into new minerals, which are locked underground.

The potential of this technology will be maximised through a better understanding of what controls the reactivity of the volcanic rock and how much CO2 can be locked away.

The £1m INCLUSION project will see researchers from the Edinburgh University’s School of GeoSciences working with Icelandic mineralisation operator, Carbfix and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre to develop an evidence-based framework aimed at optimising the mineralisation process on an industrial scale.

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The project has received funding from the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) Pushing the Frontiers scheme.

According to Edinburgh University, the team will combine 4D x-ray imaging and micro-scale mineral analysis with a new, field-scale CO2 fingerprinting method to track the volume of carbon dioxide captured from Iceland’s largest geothermal power plant and verify its safe and permanent storage underground.

Developed by a team of Edinburgh scientists, the CO2 fingerprinting tool is being patented by Edinburgh Innovations.

Carbon capture and storage is emerging as a potential solution in the fight against climate change, and this approach has the potential to reduce the amount of CO2 present in the atmosphere.

In a statement, Professor Fin Stuart, director- Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre said: “We will determine the unique chemical fingerprint of the injected CO2 at Carbfix, and record how that changes during the storage process. This will enable us to determine how, and how much, CO2 is stored and provide confidence in the amount of CO2 that can be stored by mineralisation in the future, which can also aid participation in carbon credit schemes.”

mineralisation