Abstract:
Climate change mitigation efforts have so far failed to achieve rapid rates of de-carbonisation. A technical possibility can still be realised. However, the long residence time of CO2 in the atmosphere would continue the warming trend for the foreseeable future even if emissions were immediately cut to zero. Geoengineering methods provide a useful complement to mitigation and adaptation. The emission of CO2 from power stations operating on fossil fuel and other sources can be handled by only three types of storage technologies including: (1) ocean storage, (2) geological storage (geosequestration), and (3) CO2 mineralization or mineral carbonation (geomimicry). This last option provides a permanent solution to storing CO2 safely on a geological time scale. The high cost and elevated energy requirements are preventing this technology from reaching industrial scale. Ultramafic complexes and serpentinite bodies are major sources of magnesium-rich minerals like olivine and serpentine, which can be carbonated by using CO2. The ultramafic rocks of the Great Serpentinite Belt (GSB), northern New South Wales, Australia, have been identified as a high-potential feedstock for mineral carbonation. These deposits indicate variable degrees of carbonation. The source of carbon in ultramafic rocks hosted magnesite veins and deposits are still under debate but agreement appears to be emerging on their near surface formation at low temperature pressure condition. The petrographic and geochemical studies on serpentinite and magnesite have revealed the possibilities of finding the agent/catalyst that could enhance the process of carbonation by using the atmospheric CO2. The list of advantages for Mineral Carbonation over alternative methods for large scale CO2 sequestration is quite long and the fact that Pakistan has substantial amount of serpentine, for example, in Taleri Mohammad Jan village near Hindubagh, opens up the opportunities to carry forward the study on Mineral Carbonation in Pakistan and this could reveal highly effective results.
Page(s):
195-201
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Science, Technology and Development, Volume: 31, Issue: 3, Year: 2012