Carbfix, a prominent carbon capture and storage company, has made history by successfully performing the world’s first injection of CO2 dissolved in seawater.
The injected CO2 originates from Switzerland, and it was deposited at a depth of approximately 400 meters below sea level into the basaltic subsurface at the Helguvík location in Reykjanesbaer, Iceland.
The project, named SeaStone, is a shared effort between Carbfix and several prestigious institutions, including ETH Zürich, Háskóli Íslands, Iceland GeoSurvey (ÍSOR), the universities of Geneva and Lausanne, and University College London.
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The concept behind the project involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial sources and injecting it into underground basalt rock formations, where it mineralizes and becomes permanently stored.
This milestone marks the first time seawater is being used to dissolve the captured CO2. Previously, Carbfix utilized freshwater for this identical objective.
The team behind the project is putting into practice the world’s first field test of achieving permanent carbon dioxide storage through mineralization, utilizing seawater as the solvent. They will employ various monitoring techniques in order to determine whether the procedures and mineralization processes are effective over time.
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Einar Magnús Einarsson, project manager for SeaStone at Carbfix, commented on the occasion: “We are thrilled about the outstanding collaborations that have brought SeaStone to this pivotal stage. We are enthusiastic about moving forward and proud that SeaStone now has a second world-first achievement on its resume, after achieving with DemoUpCARMA a cross-border transport of Swiss CO2 to Iceland and its injection using freshwater last year.”
The DemoUpCARMA and DemoUpStorage projects, led by ETH Zurich, will now provide the carbon dioxide needed for Project SeaStone.
This innovative CO2 injection by Carbfix has the potential to provide much-needed information and a viable solution for the geological storage of significant amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing greatly to the global effort to address climate change.
