DecarbFaroe – pilot project for financially viable CCS in mafic rocks

The CETP-funded DecarbFaroe project advances CO2 mineralization in volcanic geological formations by moving from academic research to low-cost, commercially viable onshore pilot demonstrations, starting with the first kiloton-scale injections on the Faroe Islands. By leveraging the untapped potential of globally abundant mafic rocks for distributed, permanent onshore CO2 storage, the project addresses a critical gap in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). This approach tackles the high costs and limited adoption of large-scale saline aquifer CCS while overcoming acceptance and scalability challenges associated with subsurface mineralization.

Following extensive site characterization, the project will inject up to 1,000 tons of CO2 (dissolved in water) from a local biogas plant into subsurface basalt, demonstrating carbonate mineralization and permanent storage through geochemical and geophysical monitoring. The project also plans dissemination to similar geological settings, including immediate scale-up efforts in India and Brazil.

Beyond technical objectives, DecarbFaroe addresses regulatory, social, and commercial feasibility, aiming for low costs (<100 €/ton CO2) and secure onshore operation. Strong collaboration between academic and industry partners ensures implementation at a well-characterized site with available CO2 and strong local support.

Ultimately, DecarbFaroe will deliver a blueprint for scalable, low-cost CCS in mafic rocks, demonstrating a viable commercial model where revenues exceed costs, enabling global adoption with megaton-scale storage by 2030 and gigaton-scale by 2050.