Good News?
The ABC has an article on a project that could be very good news: World-first pilot plant to turn carbon dioxide into rock
A research pilot plant in Newcastle will trial world-first technology that turns carbon emissions into bricks and pavers for the construction industry.
The mineral carbonation technology copies and accelerates the earth’s own way of sinking carbon.
The University of Newcastle, chemical giant Orica and carbon innovation company GreenMag Group have spent six years researching how to permanently and safely dispose of carbon dioxide.
This would reduce greenhouse gases in two ways – by directly pulling it out of the exhaust of power plants, and eliminating what would have been generated making bricks and paving stones. Because it would produce a useful product that can be sold to cover costs, it would give an incentive to power companies to act more responsibly.
There’s a lot of research still to go, but the effort seems to be in right direction.
3 comments
The core problem is that it takes as much energy to turn carbon dioxide back into hydrocarbons as was produced by burning the hydrocarbons to begin with. Though perhaps there is a catalyst that will use less energy to simply turn it into carbon and oxygen? Hmm…
They might be combining it with a mineral to produce something like limestone or dolomite, which seems to be what they are saying when they talk about ‘rock’ and the natural process to lock up carbon dioxide. Many of the sedimentary rocks are carbonates.
CO2 in water is a weak acid, so there is a reactive potential, but the cost of the process and its success would then depend on what mineral is involved, and how much energy is expended obtaining it.
They might be combining it with a mineral to produce something like limestone or dolomite, which seems to be what they are saying when they talk about ‘rock’
that was my impression too.