Scientists have found a quick way to turn carbon dioxide into rocks and findings have been published in the journal Science. A research project called CarbFix valued at $10 million or Rp.133.3 billion was conducted about 540 meters deep in the rocks of Iceland and has been run for 2 years.
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| Giant ducts carry superheated steam from within a volcanic field to the turbines at Reykjavik Energy's Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Iceland. Scientists have a found a quick but not cheap way to turn heat-trapping carbon dioxide into harmless rock. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1b8KkO) |
As quoted by the Daily Mail on Sunday, June 12, 2016, the experts reveal that offers new hope to help to fight global warming. When a team of international scientists pump carbon dioxide and liquid acid into bottom basalt rock, basic chemistry takes over.
"The acidic mixture dissolved the rocks' calcium magnesium and formed limestone a permanent natural jail for the heat-trapping gas permanently," explains Juerg Matter, the lead study author from the University of Southampton in England.
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| A Section of rock core from the CO2 storage reservoir showing vesicular basalt with a well-defined fracture with calcium carbonate mineralization. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1b8KkO) |
"(Carbon dioxide) is no longer the gas," said Matter.
"Basically, the carbon dioxide has turn into a stone," he added.
Scientists who have done this before in the laboratory, thinking that the process could take thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years. But in just two years, 95 percent of the carbon dioxide gas captured is has changed.
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| A CarbFix experiment's technical manager, checks a valve at a test well at Reykjavik Energy's Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Iceland. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1b8KkO) |
"It is what we expected ... and in some ways even better," said geophysicist from Columbia University, David Goldberg, he was not part of the research team but praised the results of these findings.
"What is happening here is a natural process that is accelerated," said Matter.
The finding represents one of the methods for fighting climate change. In addition to reducing fossil fuel emissions, these findings can capture carbon dioxide from power plant air or electricity.
"Catcher carbon is not a silver bullet, but it can make a significant contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions," said Matter. But the process is costly, especially on the carbon capture.
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| Superheated steam laden with carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide billow from a test well in the volcanic field at Reykjavik Energy's Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Iceland. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1b8KkO) |
After the carbon dioxide captured from the air, how to store them is another problem that must be solved immediately. The gas can be stored underground and is sometimes injected into the empty oil wells. But there are concerns about monitoring and preventing the escape of carbon dioxide. By injecting the gas into basalt and let it naturally processed can indeed solve the problem. However, this process twice more expensive than injecting it into old wells.
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| A complex of pipes, ducts and valves connects to giant turbines inside Reykjavik Energy's Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Iceland. Scientists have a found a quick but not cheap way to turn heat-trapping carbon dioxide into harmless rock. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1b8KkO) |
There are a lot of basalt rock around the world, in places like the Pacific Northwest, India, and South America, according to Matter. However, according to Goldberg, the more promising is full basalt sea floor, this is also a good place to store carbon dioxide.
CarbFix is a small-scale trial, by using about 15 American carbon emissions and possibly could be improved at low cost. "That would be very good news," said scientist Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution for Science. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DAILY MAIL]
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