Carbon mineralization opportunities in Canary Islands

To address the critical challenge of climate change, developing technologies aimed at the reduction or removal of CO₂ emissions is crucial to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC. There are myriad techniques already implemented for this purpose, among which direct air capture (DAC) technologies and subsequent CO₂ mineralization stand out. DAC offers a scalable and modular approach to capturing and removing CO₂ from the atmosphere; while mineralisation processes provide a long-term storage solution by converting the previously captured CO₂ into stable carbonates. Mineralisation can take place in situ, within the Earth's crust, or ex situ, through industrial processes. There are multiple strategies for CO₂ mineralisation, one of which involves the use of basaltic rocks through a well-known process. However, further development of these technologies is required in order to increase the efficiency of the process and, thus, fully harness its enormous potential.

 

The Canary Archipelago is a group of eight volcanic islands located 100 km off the Sahara’s coastline, in the northwestern side of Africa. These relatively young islands cover a surface of 7500 km² presenting diverse morphologies, ages, and sizes and exhibiting sporadic eruption episodes until now. The impact of climate change on the Canary Islands has negative consequences on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, producing disruptions in agricultural patterns, and increasing the vulnerability of public infrastructure. These challenges have direct effects on the socio-economic structure of the Archipelago, which heavily relies on tourism. For this reason, it is essential to implement initiatives from the Canary Islands that contribute to mitigating the factors driving global warming.

 

Basaltic rocks are abundant in the Canary Islands, offering a unique opportunity to position them as a pioneering region in the field of carbon removal. Basalto-CO₂ is an unprecedented collaboration between Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias (INVOLCAN) and the oil company REPSOL with the goal of reviewing the state-of-the-art in CO₂ mineralization techniques using basalts and exploring their applicability to the Canary Islands’ context. The project is being developed around four lines of study: the analysis of the reactive potential of the Canarian basalts, the geological CO₂ sequestration in basaltic reservoirs, the ex situ mineralisation of CO₂ using different industrial wastes, and the use of natural solutions, such as enhanced weathering.

 

The Canary Islands’ robust research and development ecosystem, supported by institutions such as the University of La Laguna and INVOLCAN, is well-suited to foster innovation in DAC and mineralization technologies. Simultaneously, the development of DAC and mineralization technologies would significantly impact the islands’ energy sector by promoting the adoption of renewable energy. This would also encourage better environmental management and socio-economic transformation by fostering the emergence of new productive sectors within the Canary Islands, paving the way for a more prosperous future.

 

Acknowledgments

This project, along with the contracts for FLP, IML, DRB, and JTL, is financed by REPSOL S.A.