Climeworks has partnered with Reykjavik Energy to create a pilot plant in Iceland as part of the CarbFix2 project. This features the use of carbon removal technology that combines direct air capture technology (DAC) with geological storage that is both safe and permanent. The result is a scalable, economically-viable and safe method of removing air-captured carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it basalt. This plant is part of the CarbFix2 project and it has been acknowledged that this solution is a crucial component when aiming to achieve global warming targets.
The CarbFix2 project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and is demonstrative of a major step forward when it comes to DAC technology. Additionally, earlier this year Climeworks established the world’s first commercially-viable DAC plant near Zurich. The plant filters 900 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere which is supplied to a local greenhouse.
The collaborative research project is centred around a geothermal power plant in Hellisheidi, Iceland. On this site, Climeworks will investigate how the technology works with specific weather conditions in south west Iceland. A DAC module which captures CO2 from ambient air in preparation to be stored permanently underground has been installed. Once underground the CO2 will react with the basaltic bedrock, forming solid minerals, thus creating the permanent storage solution.
This results in a carbon removal solution. This is especially important as scientific studies have demonstrated that the achievement of the two-degree climate target is not realistic without carbon removal solutions.
Founder and CEO at Climeworks Christoph Gebald, comments: “The potential of scaling-up our technology in combination with CO2 storage, is enormous. Not only here in Iceland but also in numerous other regions which have similar rock formations. Our plan is to offer carbon removal to individuals, corporates and organizations as a means to reverse their non-avoidable carbon emissions.”
Edda Sif Aradóttir, CarbFix project leader at Reykjavik Energy adds: “We have developed CarbFix at a unique location here in Iceland and proved that we can permanently turn this greenhouse gas into rock. By imitating natural processes this happens in less than two years. By integrating the Climeworks and CarbFix technologies we create a solution that is deployable where we have basalt but independent of the location of emissions. This is important to scale up the CarbFix approach on a global level.”
