Large-scale implementation of geological carbon sequestration is considered a key asset to limit anthropogenic warming to 1.5 - 2 °C, as set out in the Paris Agreement. This project focuses on a viable alternative represented by injecting CO2 into reactive rock formations, e.g. basalts, to facilitate rapid carbon mineralization, and therefore increase storage security. The particular interest lies in microbially enhanced carbon mineralization: biological catalysts are utilized to alter reaction rates and further enhance carbon mineralization.
The overarching aim of this project’s research is to provide the fundamental understanding and simulation technology required to assess the large-scale deployment of CO2 storage through microbially enhanced carbon mineralization and hence contribute to climate change mitigation.
Computational studies employ various numerical techniques, combining hybrid-scale modeling and conventional CFD to investigate the flow physics and the complex CO2-rock-biomass interactions at pore and sub-pore levels. Complementary experiments on calcite dissolution are conducted using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) imaging aiming at uncovering fundamental processes and embedding these in the modelling framework.
The ultimate aim of the investigations is to use the new experimental and computational data to produce correlations/relationships for use with large scale simulations, as well as developing further fundamental understanding of phenomena of CO2-water-rock-biomass reactive flow in porous media.
As such, the project creates new synergetic knowledge at the interface of biology, geology and numerical modeling, that will inevitably impact traditional subsurface resources other than CO2 storage, e.g. environmental bioremediation and hydrogen storage.
