Iceland project marries carbon capture with geological storage

(Credit: Climeworks/Zev-Starr-Tambor)

The CarbFix2 project is a collaboration between Swiss startup Climeworks and Reykjavik Energy. Located just outside the Icelandic capital at Hellisheidi, it is centred around one of the world’s largest geothermal power plants.

The first stage in the process sees CO2 captured from ambient air using Climeworks’ DAC technology, which involves a patented filter. According to the company, the filter is made of porous granulates modified with amines and works by binding the CO2 with the moisture in the air.

Next, low-grade heat from the geothermal plant is used to release pure C02, which is then sent more than 700m underground. Here, it reacts with the basaltic bedrock and forms solid minerals, creating a permanent storage solution. The trial will test the technology under the specific weather conditions at the location in the South West of Iceland, and shed light on DAC’s viability for wider capture solutions.