Research & development
Carbfix started out as an academic research project and R&D continues to be the driving force of the company.
Seawater
Carbfix has developed the scientific basis for using seawater to dissolve CO2 prior to injection, significantly expanding the applicability of the technology. to e.g. coastal areas and offshore applications. Carbonate precipitation has been confirmed in the laboratory with a field site demonstration of mineral storage to follow later in 2021.
Rock properties
The chemical and physical properties of different rock types strongly influence the rate of CO2 mineralisation. Fresh basalts, like the ones in our field site in Hellisheidi, are among the most feasible formations, but other rock types have the potential for mineral carbonation. It is yet to be established which formations are suitable for efficient CO2 mineralisation, but these could extend the applicability of the method already established in fresh basalts. These questions are being explored as part of the H2020 GECO project, and with pilot injections into older basaltic formations in Iceland in 2021.
Efficiency
The Carbfix technology requires both water and energy. Significant efforts are being undertaken to increase efficiency at every step of the chain. This involves simulations of dissolution of gas mixtures under pressure as well as the behavior of gas-charged fluids injected into the subsurface.
Monitoring
Innovative approaches have been developed to monitor the fate of the injected gas mixture confirming the rapid mineralisation process. This involves regular sampling and tracer tests using adjacent monitoring wells, a combination of chemical and tracer analyses, geochemical calculations, isotope analyses and physical evidence. Furthermore, work towards other innovative monitoring methods has been ongoing within e.g. the H2020 projects CarbFix2, S4CE, and GECO.
Geothermal Emission COntrol - GECO project
Carbfix leads the EU funded GECO project, an innovative EU funded research project which aims to provide a clean, safe, and cost-efficient non-carbon and sulfur-emitting geothermal energy across Europe and the World. Pilot demonstrations are planned in Iceland, Germany and Turkey.
CarbFix2 project
EU funded H2020 research project with the aim to advance capture and injection of impure CO2 streams into the subsurface, integration of a direct air capture technology with the Carbfix process, the first steps CO2 mineralisation using seawater for injection, and lowering the overall cost of the CCS chain.
Science 4 Clean Energy project
EU funded H2020 research and innovation project for fundamental studies of fluid transport, reactivity and quantification of emissions, micro-seismic events, and testing of cement casings. Field sites are the Carbfix site in Iceland, Cornwall UK, and St. Gallen Switzerland.
