ENERGY! - we all need it and we all use it, everyday. And our hunger for
energy just keeps on growing.
World energy demand is growing at about twice the rate of population
growth. And the problem we now have is we've relied so much on burning
fossil fuels to supply a lot of energy that we have this build-up of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is course is believed to be
causing rapid climate change. So we have no option really but to reduce
carbon dioxide.
We're developing technologies in Australia that could store away
millions of tonnes of CO2 permanently and safely.
The main objective of the pilot plant research is to demonstrate
technical viability of storing carbon dioxide in magnesium silicate
rocks
There are no silver bullets in reducing co2 emissions. Mineral
carbonation sits in a portfolio of technologies that will ultimately be
needed to store CO2 away
Mineral carbonation transforms CO2 from a gas into a permanent solid.
So one of our aims is to actually use this in building products like
bricks, pavers or even plasterboard.
When coal is burnt to generate electricity,CO2 gas is released
to the atmosphere New technology enables the CO2 to be
captured and compressed...
One approach is to inject the CO2 into underground rock formations
The alternative process of "mineral carbonation", will transform
the CO2 into a stable solid. Serpentine magnesium silicate rock,
is heated to release water and react with compressed CO2 to form magnesium
carbonate and silica sand.
This is used to refill the serpentine mine and to make other
valuable products. By using a natural chemical reaction, this
process closes the loop on carbon, permanently returning it to the
earth.
One of the really appealing things about mineral carbonation is that
it's actually a natural process. So these rocks would be converted into
carbonates under the influence of rainfall over millions of years. What
we're trying to do is speed this process up.
The MCi Newcastle Project is the culmination of six years of intense
research and development and the winning of competitive grants from NSW
and Commonwealth Governments and industry. We will be building the
world's first mineral carbonation pilot plant.
Newcastle Innovation, the commercialisation arm of the University of Newcastle,
will manage the multidisciplinary team for this project. As the prime contract manager,
they will oversee the conducting of the research and the pilot plan
design and construction.
The chemistry has already proven this process is working now in the lab.
Our pilot plant project aims to scale this up and
demonstrate that it can be economically viable. If we had 50
mineral carbonation plants around the world we could be securing over a
billion tonnes of CO2 every year.
There are a number of potentially valuable ores which will recover
during carbonation. These valuable products will help offset the overall
cost of the process.
We really need a sustainable solution to the CO2 problem. And our overall
aim with this technology is to protect the environment and make a
difference in avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.