Iceland set to capture carbon in its rocks

Other capture projects
The Iceland project wouldn't be the only one involving the disposal of C02.

For 10 years, Statoil, a Norwegian oil and gas company, has been separating C02 contained in natural gas that it takes from beneath the North Sea. The C02 is then liquefied and pumped into a well that was dug into sandstone 3,300 feet below the sea bed for that purpose.

Four companies — BP, Conoco Phillips, Shell, and Scottish and Southern Energy — are developing a project off Scotland where they would take North Sea natural gas, convert it into C02 and hydrogen gas. The hydrogen would be burned in a power station to generate electricity. The C02 would be pumped through an existing gas pipeline to an aging oil field in the North Sea, where it would be permanently stored.

But the experiment in Iceland could prove it is possible for many countries to safely deposit captured C02 in their natural resources, not just in empty oil wells.

One option in the Iceland experiment would be to import C02 from Statoil in a liquid form and pump it down deep into the basaltic rocks. The chemical weathering would occur in the rock, calcium would be extracted from the basalt, combine with the C02 and form solid calcium carbonate. Then it would be monitored to see if it remains safely stored with no time limit.

If the experiment works, countries such as Iceland, the United States, India, Russia and Brazil could theoretically be able to capture C02 before it is released from factories, industries and coal mines and bury it out of harm's way.

"Iceland won't save the world, even if this process works," said Sigurdur.

"No one has the capacity to capture all the C02 that is being burned in fossil fuel. But more and more evidence suggests the climate is warming up. We have to do something," he said.

That also is true in Iceland, where Europe's biggest glacier, Vatnajokull, still covers about 10 percent of the country.

Icelanders have been harnessing the energy in the water rushing from the glaciers and mountainsides for nearly 100 years and turning it into all the electricity they need. This is called hydropower, a renewable energy supply that emits no greenhouse gases.

Geothermal energy — produced from hot water and steam captured from beneath Iceland's surface — provides clean, safe and pollution-free hot water and inexpensive space heating to more than 90 percent of Icelandic homes, as well as its swimming pools and greenhouses.

But like many other countries, Iceland still imports the fossil fuels that its cars, trucks, large fishing fleet, airplanes and some industries need, meaning it's difficult to meet the emission targets the nation agreed to under the Kyoto Protocol.

MORE FROM ENVIRONMENT

Environment Section Front

Lasers, acid used in whaling clashes New York City: Don't drill near our water Farm town wants answers on birth defects U.S. expands efforts to regulate meds in water Acidic oceans: Warming's 'evil twin' Last of rare rhinos moved in bid to breed China blasts claim it 'hijacked' climate talks South Pole trekkers deal with temp swings Nostalgia burns bright for old Christmas lights EarthTalk Q&A: green business, salmon runs Environment Section Front   Add Environment headlines to your news reader: