Carbon Mineralization as One of the Main CO2 Utilization Strategies - Report on the Mission Innovation CCUS Experts’ Workshop

During the first day of the ground-breaking Paris 2015 UNCC conference, Mission Innovation (MI) was announced as a global initiative of 22 countries and the EU to dramatically accelerate innovation in clean energy. Specifically, participating Countries committed to double research and development (R&D) funding over a five year period (2016-2021) to boost the availability of technologies that can insure our Planet with a clean, affordable and reliable energy mix. Each Country determines independently its own R&D priorities to reach the goal, however these should fall within innovation challenges that are developed through a collaborative process between MI members. Up to now MI has launched 7 innovation challenges spanning from smart grids to sustainable biofuels and affordable cooling and heating for buildings. The third challenge – Carbon Capture - regards Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage and is aimed at enabling near-zero CO₂ emissions from power plants and carbon intensive industries.

Last September an experts’ workshop on the Carbon Capture Innovation Challenge was held in Houston, shortly after hurricane Harvey hit the area, highlighting even more the urgency of taking action against climate change. The goal of the workshop organized by the USA and Saudi Arabia, the Countries co-leading this innovation challenge, was to identify and prioritize breakthrough low technology readiness level research directions to be pursued in the next five years in this field. The workshop covered three major themes: capture, storage, and utilization, as well as cross-cutting topics between the three areas. For each of the 3 themes four panels were selected. The utilization panels addressed the following themes: thermochemical conversion, electrochemical and photochemical conversion, conversion to solid carbonates and biological conversion.

The carbonation panel was made up by 20 experts from 10 Countries. Since, the members of this group have different backgrounds and apply carbonation in various fields and for different purposes, e.g. CO₂ mineral storage via ex situ or in situ processes, industrial residues valorization, metals recovery, and green concrete and cement manufacturing, one of the first objectives was to agree on common terminology and identify general technology and knowledge gaps. Specifically, carbon mineralization was selected as the most appropriate term to describe this technology. Besides, the great potential of this process as a carbon storage option and a treatment to produce materials for the built environment was highlighted; however, the multiple challenges posed by the complexity of the reactive system were also recognized. In particular, to control reaction pathways and rates, broad-spectrum thermodynamic and kinetic data collection, as well as on line mass transfer measurements, were proposed as means to achieve an improved understanding of solid-liquid-CO₂ reaction pathways under a broad range of conditions. In addition, nanoscale investigations on product micro-structure, geochemistry and mineralogy were considered key for obtaining materials that can guarantee consistent mechanical, physical, and environmental performance. After extended and interesting discussion, the panel came up with 2 priority research directions. These will be illustrated in the presentation along with a general account on the workshop and its outcomes.