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Scientists have identified potential sites for the 'direct air capture machines' (DAC), which would extract CO2 from the air and turn it to stone. The eight promising locations include Antrim in Northern Ireland, Borrowdale in the Lake District and the Isle of Mull in Scotland.
According to the experts, the sites have a wealth of volcanic rock underground that would react with CO2 and turn the greenhouse gas into a solid form. Combined, the eight sites could safely store more than three billion tonnes of CO2 – equivalent to around 45 years' worth of the UK's industrial emissions.
Researchers think the UK offers 'significant CO2 storage potential' as one weapon against climate change. Study leader Professor Gilfillan, geochemist at the University of Edinburgh said 'we urgently need carbon storage' solutions like this to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. We would suggest that these potential storage site should be part of the consideration for the siting of any future DAC sites in the UK, especially for the early trials,' he told the Daily Mail.
CO2 mineralisation offers the UK more room to store CO2, adding to the huge resource offered by the rocks beneath the North Sea. The researchers analysed the geology, chemistry and volume of reactive rocks from 21 sites around the UK, mostly in the north.
However, critics warn that carbon capture and storage does not tackle the root cause of global warming – the release of CO2 from burning of fossil fuels. Other concerns are that the process itself is very energy intensive and so could drive up energy prices.
The technology also has safety concerns – after being stored underground, some experts fear that CO2 could leak and taint nearby water supplies or create tremors caused by the build–up of pressure underground.
Source: Daily Mail
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