The Stone Maker: How a Geologist Turned Carbon Dioxide into Rock and Saved the Planet

She had always been fascinated by rocks. Ever since she was a little girl, she loved to collect different kinds of stones and minerals and learn about their origins and properties. She dreamed of becoming a geologist, a scientist who studies the Earth and its rocks.

She had always been concerned about the environment. She grew up in a world where climate change was a serious threat, where greenhouse gas emissions were causing global warming, extreme weather, and sea level rise. She wanted to do something to help the planet and reduce the impact of human activities.

She had always been innovative. She had a knack for finding creative solutions to challenging problems. She enjoyed experimenting with new technologies and methods and applying them to real-world situations. She had a vision of making a positive difference in the world.

She had always been a stone maker. That was the nickname she earned when she joined the CarbFix project, a groundbreaking initiative that aimed to turn carbon dioxide into stone. She was one of the leading researchers who developed and tested the technology that could potentially revolutionize the field of carbon capture and storage (CCS).

CCS is a process that involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial sources, such as power plants and factories, and storing it underground or underwater, where it cannot contribute to climate change. However, conventional CCS methods have some drawbacks, such as high costs, limited storage capacity, and potential leakage risks.

The CarbFix project offered a novel alternative: instead of storing carbon dioxide as a gas or a liquid, why not turn it into a solid? The idea was to inject carbon dioxide dissolved in water into basaltic rock formations, which are rich in metals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. These metals react with carbon dioxide and form stable carbonate minerals, such as calcite and siderite. In other words, they turn carbon dioxide into stone.

The project was based in Iceland, a volcanic island with abundant basaltic rocks and geothermal energy. The researchers partnered with the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, which produces electricity and hot water from underground steam, but also emits some carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The team decided to use these emissions as a source of carbon dioxide for their experiment.

They built a pipeline that connected the power plant to an injection site about two kilometers away. They installed a device that separated the carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from the steam and mixed them with water under high pressure. They then pumped the mixture into two injection wells that reached about 500 meters below the surface, where the basalt layer was located.

They monitored the injection process using various sensors and instruments. They also collected samples of the injected fluid and the surrounding rock for analysis. They wanted to see how fast and how far the carbon dioxide would travel in the basalt, and how quickly and how completely it would turn into stone.

They were amazed by the results. Within two years, more than 95 percent of the injected carbon dioxide had been converted into carbonate minerals. The process was much faster than they had expected, based on previous studies that suggested it could take hundreds or thousands of years. The process was also very efficient, as almost all of the carbon dioxide was mineralized and none of it leaked back to the surface or into groundwater.

They were thrilled by the implications. They had demonstrated that turning carbon dioxide into stone was not only possible but also feasible and effective. They had shown that basaltic rocks could provide a large and secure storage capacity for carbon dioxide, as well as other greenhouse gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methane. They had proven that geothermal power plants could be used as sources of both renewable energy and carbon dioxide for mineralization.

They were inspired by the potential. They realized that their technology could be applied to other places and other industries that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide, such as cement factories, steel mills, and fossil fuel power plants. They envisioned that their technology could be scaled up and deployed around the world, especially in regions with abundant basaltic rocks, such as India, China, Brazil, and the United States.

The team was grateful for the support received for their project, as well as curious about the reactions and attitudes to the prospects of their technology. The European Union provided financial support, which funded the CarbFix project as part of its Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. The EU recognized the potential of the technology to contribute to its climate goals and to foster green growth and competitiveness. The team was appreciative of the technical support from the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, which provided them with access to its facilities, emissions, and energy. The power plant was operated by Reykjavik Energy, a public utility company that was committed to reducing its environmental impact and enhancing its social responsibility.

They were also delighted by the scientific support from various academic institutions and research organizations, such as the University of Iceland, Columbia University, CNRS, and Utrecht University. These partners collaborated with the team on various aspects of the project, such as data collection, analysis, modeling, and dissemination.

They were equally amazed by the positive feedback from the public and the media, who were impressed by the novelty and effectiveness of the technology. The project attracted widespread attention and coverage, both nationally and internationally. The team was invited to present their findings at various conferences and events, such as the UN Climate Change Conference and the TEDx Reykjavik.

She was intrigued by the constructive criticism from some experts and stakeholders, who raised some questions and concerns about the technology. Some of them wondered about the scalability, cost-effectiveness, and safety of the technology, as well as its social and ethical implications. The team welcomed these challenges and addressed them with evidence and arguments.

They were hopeful for the future. They believed that their technology could be a game-changer in the fight against climate change. They hoped that their technology could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming. They dreamed that their technology could help create a more sustainable and resilient world.

She had always been a stone maker. And she was proud of it.