May 14, 2019
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Scientists in Iceland unveil technique to trap carbon dioxide in ROCK
Using new technology, scientists are turning the world's most dangerous greenhouse gas into solid stone. Researchers say the technology, which mimics a process of carbon being absorbed by basalt rock that usually takes place over thousands of years, could help clean the atmosphere of carbon dioxide.
'With this method we have actually changed the time scale dramatically,' said geologist Sandra Osk Snaebjornsdottir in a statement.
The method, which is being devised by Iceland's CarbFix project with researchers and engineers from utility company Reykjavik Energy, the University of Iceland, France's National Centre for Scientific Research, and Columbia University in the United States, works by turning C02 into what researchers describe as 'fizzy water.'
By capturing CO2 using steam and then converting that into condensate, scientists are able to dissolve the C02 into water. That combination is then piped several miles away where it deposited under high pressure into basalt rocks that stretch 3,300 feet beneath Iceland's surface. This is where the solidification process begins -- when the CO2 filled liquid comes in contact with the calcium, magnesium and iron in the basalt, it starts to mineralize.
In the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, which was the subject of researchers experiments, the scientists note that the method has reduced emissions by a third, preventing 12,000 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
While the method has proven effective in Iceland, researchers note that in other parts of the world, its application might logistically implausible. For each ton of CO2 injected and transformed into rock, the method requires 25 tons of desalinated water -- in Iceland, a slew fresh glacial water is abundant, which makes the country an ideal candidate for the technology.
'I agree that the process uses a lot of water, but we gain a lot by permanently getting rid of CO2 that otherwise would be floating around the atmosphere,' says Aradottir.
Despite increased interest in technology that mitigates emissions of greenhouse gas around the world, methods of carbon capture and storage like those used by researchers in Iceland have been slow to gain steam. Among the major critiques has been that the systems -- instead of pushing the energy sector towards cleaner forms of energy -- enables continued reliance on fossil fuels.
However, that hasn't stopped some scientists from coming up with unique ways of incorporating the technology. In a recent proposal, experts floated the idea of turning air conditioning units into carbon capturing devices which could then turn the gas into synthetic fuel.
Under the Paris climate agreement, Iceland has aimed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030.
Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk
