Iceland has the jump on the rest of us in terms of renewable energy thanks to its geothermal power, but the far-flung northern country still has heavy industry with attendant carbon emissions. Initiatives like CarbFix will take cities like Reykjavík one step closer to eco angel status.
“During the first years of the project, the main focus of the project was to optimize the method through lab experiments, studies of natural analogues, and characterization of the Carbfix pilot injection site, often referred to as the Carbfix1 site, where the pilot injections took place. Design and construction of gas capture, injection and monitoring equipment was carried out simultaneously.”
CarbFix captures CO2 from industry, dissolves it in water, and injects it deep underground, where it takes about two years to mineralize into harmless carbonate minerals like calcite – one of the main components of marble and limestone. The method is also being proposed for carbon capture from the air - think smog-free cities.
