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Ambient weathering of magnesium oxide for CO2 removal from air.


ABSTRACT: To avoid dangerous climate change, new technologies must remove billions of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year by mid-century. Here we detail a land-based enhanced weathering cycle utilizing magnesite (MgCO3) feedstock to repeatedly capture CO2 from the atmosphere. In this process, MgCO3 is calcined, producing caustic magnesia (MgO) and high-purity CO2. This MgO is spread over land to carbonate for a year by reacting with atmospheric CO2. The carbonate minerals are then recollected and re-calcined. The reproduced MgO is spread over land to carbonate again. We show this process could cost approximately $46-159 tCO2-1 net removed from the atmosphere, considering grid and solar electricity without post-processing costs. This technology may achieve lower costs than projections for more extensively engineered Direct Air Capture methods. It has the scalable potential to remove at least 2-3 GtCO2 year-1, and may make a meaningful contribution to mitigating climate change.

SUBMITTER: McQueen N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7335196 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Ambient weathering of magnesium oxide for CO<sub>2</sub> removal from air.

McQueen Noah N   Kelemen Peter P   Dipple Greg G   Renforth Phil P   Wilcox Jennifer J  

Nature communications 20200703 1


To avoid dangerous climate change, new technologies must remove billions of tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub> from the atmosphere every year by mid-century. Here we detail a land-based enhanced weathering cycle utilizing magnesite (MgCO<sub>3</sub>) feedstock to repeatedly capture CO<sub>2</sub> from the atmosphere. In this process, MgCO<sub>3</sub> is calcined, producing caustic magnesia (MgO) and high-purity CO<sub>2</sub>. This MgO is spread over land to carbonate for a year by reacting with atmospher  ...[more]

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