CarbFix

CarbFix is a project in Iceland intended to lock away carbon dioxide by reacting it with basaltic rocks. Work on the project began in 2007. The CarbFix team involves American and Icelandic designers researchers including Iceland geologist Sigurdur Reynir Gislason serving as chief scientist, project technical manager Bergur Sigfusson, manager Juerg Matter who works with Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and scientific overseer, Wallace S. Broecker (also with Columbia). Reykjavik Energy has supplied almost half the $10 million spent thus far on CarbFix. Other sponsors include U.S. and Icelandic universities. In addition to finding a new method for permanent carbon dioxide storage, another objective of the project is to train scientists for years of work to come.

The Theory

Carbonated water is injected into the rock and hopefully reacts with the Ca and Mg present. This is called enhanced weathering, Calcium and Magnesium are present in basalt - but rarely as simple oxides where the equations would be simple: