Mineralisation - Carbonation and Enhanced Weathering
- 1 July 2013
- Storage
- Utilisation
This technical review is an update of a 2005 IEAGHG review of mineralisation as means of CO₂ sequestration, which concluded “Significant breakthroughs are needed but obstacles to be overcome are considerable”. This review confirms that view and concludes that recent research initiatives are unlikely to lead to technically and economically viable CO₂ sequestration processes. An insurmountable barrier is the scale of mineral handling that would be required for CO₂ absorption by a mineral at a coal-fired power station. The amount of igneous mineral material to be mined, processed and returned to the ground would involve materials handling at an order of magnitude greater scale than the scale of the coal mining operation that provided the fuel that is burned to produce the CO₂. That would result in significant environmental consequences and life-cycle energy demands
