5 things to know about carbon mineralization, a new approach to carbon removal

Carbon mineralization accelerates the natural reaction between CO2 and alkaline minerals to permanently store carbon as solid carbonates. The process can occur in-situ (subsurface injection into rocks like basalt) or ex-situ (surface reactions using crushed feedstock or industrial reactors). While it offers co-benefits such as strengthening concrete, reducing ocean acidification, and neutralizing toxic asbestos tailings, it faces challenges including high water consumption in certain methods, potential heavy metal contamination, and the energy intensity of mining and grinding feedstock. Scaling the technology requires standardized measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocols and updated geological mapping of suitable minerals.

• Carbon mineralization is a carbon dioxide removal process that accelerates the natural reaction between CO2 and alkaline minerals—specifically magnesium or calcium-bearing silicates found in mafic or ultramafic rocks—to create solid carbonates for permanent sequestration.
• Scientists estimate that global carbon removal via mineralization could reach 1 gigaton of CO2 per year by 2035 and 10 gigatons per year by 2050, provided there is sufficient investment in research and testing.
• In-situ mineralization involves injecting CO2 into subsurface rocks; methods include dissolving CO2 in water or using supercritical CO2. Basalt is highlighted as a promising reservoir due to its permeability and porosity, with projects like CarbFix in Iceland and Wallula in Washington state serving as demonstrations.
• Surficial or ex-situ mineralization occurs at the surface using crushed alkaline feedstock, such as mine tailings or industrial waste. This includes enhanced rock weathering on coastlines or agricultural fields, and the production of value-added materials like concrete, which could store between 0.1 and 1.4 gigatons of CO2 globally by 2050.
• The process offers several co-benefits: it can strengthen concrete by creating calcium carbonate, enable the extraction of critical minerals like nickel and cobalt from mine tailings, neutralize the health risks of asbestos tailings by changing their crystal shape, and reduce local ocean acidification.
• Scaling carbon mineralization involves significant environmental and social risks, including the potential release of toxic metals (nickel and chromium) into soil or oceans, high water requirements (e.g., 25 tons of water per ton of CO2 for some in-situ methods), induced seismic activity, and the energy-intensive nature of increased mining and transport.
• Sustainable scaling requires the development of standardized measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocols to ensure consistency across projects, as current methods are non-standardized and vary by company.

APA

Lebling, D. R. Z. B. S. L. H. P. P. P. K. (2023). 5 things to know about carbon mineralization, a new approach to carbon removal. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/carbon-mineralization-things-to-know/

Chicago

Lebling, Danielle Riedl, Zachary Byrum, Serena Li, Hélène Pilorgé, Peter Psarras, Katie. 5 things to know about carbon mineralization, a new approach to carbon removal. World Economic Forum, 2023. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/carbon-mineralization-things-to-know/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lebling |first1=Danielle Riedl, Zachary Byrum, Serena Li, Hélène Pilorgé, Peter Psarras, Katie |title=5 things to know about carbon mineralization, a new approach to carbon removal |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=3 July 2023 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/carbon-mineralization-things-to-know/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lebling2023things, author = {Lebling, Danielle Riedl, Zachary Byrum, Serena Li, Hélène Pilorgé, Peter Psarras, Katie}, title = {{5 things to know about carbon mineralization, a new approach to carbon removal}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/carbon-mineralization-things-to-know/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }