Speaker: Thomas M.P. Ratouis, Head of CO2 Mineral Storage at Carbfix Iceland
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) plays a fundamental role in achieving the goals of the Paris agreement to limit global warming to 1.5-2°C, with estimated 115 GtCO2 needed to be captured and safely stored by 2060. Mineral CO2 storage offers a vast storage potential and unlocks large regions in the world where CCS has until now not been considered possible. The largest potential lies offshore within the sub-marine basaltic crust, but suitable formations are also widespread onshore, including volcanic formations, mine tailings and unconventional petroleum reservoirs. Carbfix has since 2014 injected over 75,000 tonnes of CO2 from the Hellisheidi geothermal plant in SW-Iceland into the basaltic reservoir for mineral CO2 storage. Emphasis is currently being placed on making this technology more cost effective and exploring its limits in terms of potential sites and injection methods, including injection of CO2 captured directly from the atmosphere.
