ProjectCO2NOR
The rocks that can trap CO2
Carbon dioxide storage in nanomaterials based on ophiolitic rocks and utilization of the end-product carbonates in the building industry (CO2NOR)
"The CO2NOR Project provides evidence of how natural rock materials could play a key role in the solution to the observed climate change." - Dr. Ioannis Rigopoulos & Prof. Theodora Kyratsi
Project impact
A new way to lower CO2 in the atmosphere may lie within Cyprus’ Troodos Mountains, as they contain intact sheets of ophiolitic rocks – sections of oceanic crust and upper mantle thrust above sea level. Those rocks react naturally with atmospheric CO2, transforming it into minerals - a process that captures and stores carbon, helping to slow climate change and limit long-term environmental impacts. The CO2NOR project, led by Dr. Ioannis Rigopoulos, investigated how to speed up this natural process by converting these rocks into nanomaterials, which can substantially increase their CO2-storage capacity. The technique used a process called ball milling to grind the rocks into powders to speed up reactions with CO2. Ophiolitic rocks are found on almost every continent and are cheap to quarry; currently, tonnes of these rocks are considered waste. However, the researcher’s experiments showed that the method could be used to trap CO2 emissions from industries such as cement plants, while those quarry wastes can also be used for the development of carbon-capturing building materials. Additional experiments showed that the application of this method in the oceans could promote the immobilisation of large amounts of atmospheric CO2 as environmentally benign minerals.
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Coordinator
Cyprus
University of Cyprus
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Participating and partners countries