A review of mineral carbonation technologies to sequester CO₂

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration includes a portfolio of technologies that can potentially sequester billions of tonnes of CO2 per year. Mineral carbonation (MC) is emerging as a potential CCS technology solution to sequester CO2 from smaller/medium emitters, where geological sequestration is not a viable option. In MC processes, CO2 is chemically reacted with calcium- and/or magnesium-containing materials to form stable carbonates. This work investigates the current advancement in the proposed MC technologies and the role they can play in decreasing the overall cost of this CO2 sequestration route. In situ mineral carbonation is a very promising option in terms of resources available and enhanced security, but the technology is still in its infancy and transport and storage costs are still higher than geological storage in sedimentary basins ($17 instead of $8 per tCO2). Ex situ mineral carbonation has been demonstrated on pilot and demonstration scales. However, its application is currently limited by its high costs, which range from $50 to $300 per tCO2 sequestered. Energy use, the reaction rate and material handling are the key factors hindering the success of this technology. The value of the products seems central to render MC economically viable in the same way as conventional CCS seems profitable only when combined with EOR. Large scale projects such as the Skyonic process can help in reducing the knowledge gaps on MC fundamentals and provide accurate costing and data on processes integration and comparison. The literature to date indicates that in the coming decades MC can play an important role in decarbonising the power and industrial sector.

Hydrogenation of Inorganic Metal Carbonates: A Review on Its Potential for Carbon Dioxide Utilization and Emission Reduction

“…Mineral carbonation is a novel, widely investigated concept for CO 2 capture and storage based on weathering of limestone in nature 9, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83. In mineral carbonation, high concentrations of captured CO 2 from an industrial or power‐sector source react with metal oxide [MeO, mainly CaO or MgO; Eq.…”

The utilisation of fly ash in CO2 mineral carbonation

“…5. The extraction of alkali metals from industrial waste may be facilitated by the presence of acids in aqueous solutions, similarly as in the case of natural minerals (Huijgen et al, 2005;Sanna et al, 2014). The effect of acid concentration on the kinetics of dissolution was studied using PCD ash (with acetic acid and citric acid) and PC ash (acetic acid).…”

“…The comparison of costs for different methods of CO 2 storage is presented in Table 1. Currently, research is focused on lowering the overall cost and maximising the storage of CO 2 by optimising the operating conditions (Sanna et al, 2014). Stolaroff et al (2005) In this work the potential of fly ashes from Polish power plants for binding CO 2 has been examined.…”

“…On the other hand, the storage capacity of industrial waste is limited and dependent on developments of technology. The process of neutralising CO 2 with industrial waste has been presented in literature (Back et al, 2008;Bauer et al, 2011;Mun and Cho, 2013;Sanna et al, 2014;Stolaroff et al, 2005;Uibu and Kuusik, 2009). Possibilities of using domestic fly ashes were also examined (Jaschik et al, 2013;Uliasz-Bochenczyk, 2011;Uliasz-Bocheńczyk et al, 2012).…”

“…A natural source of alkali metal oxides are minerals containing silicates of calcium and magnesium, such as wollastonite, serpentine and talc. The necessary minerals are available in amounts far exceeding the known fossil fuel reserves (Lackner et al, 1995;Sanna et al, 2014). Commonly, two options of mineral carbonation are taken into account: in situ, in which the process is carried out underground (in a gas-solid system), and ex-situ, where the carbonation occurs in overground installations.…”