CO2 and H2S Capture and Sequestration at Hellisheiðarvirkjun
Carbfix is an innovative technological solution developed in Iceland that permanently mineralises carbon dioxide in bedrock in less than two years. Large-scale carbon sequestration is essential for meeting the world's climate goals.
SDGs related to the project
Project description
Carbfix dissolves carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in water and injects it into basalt bedrock at the thermal power plant Hellisheiðarvirkjun, to form solid carbonate and sulphide minerals.
Objectives of the project
The goal of the project is to capture and dispose of 95% of the power plant's total emissions.
When is the target expected to be achieved?
The plan is to launch the new facility in 2025.
Measurement of performance
Quantity of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide injected into bedrock.
Project progress
1 February 2023
The current capture plant at Hellisheiðarvirkjun is a 13-meter-high air treatment facility that dissolves 15,000 tonnes of CO2 and 8,000 tonnes of H2S in water every year. This is then injected into basalt bedrock where it turns into permanent carbonate and sulphide minerals. A new air treatment facility with increased capture capacity will increase capture efficiency to 95% of the plant's total emissions.
1 February 2021
During 2019-2020, work was done on the further development of the Carbfix technology to enable it to be applied as widely as possible in the fight against global warming. In the summer of 2019, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Icelandic government, Reykjavík Energy and energy-intensive industry in Iceland to investigate the feasibility of reducing the carbon footprint of industrial plants in Iceland by sequestering carbon dioxide in basalt. Carbfix technology subsequently received increased importance in the 2nd edition of Iceland's Climate Action Plan for reducing emissions from energy generation and energy-intensive industry. Since the beginning of 2020, Carbfix has been operated as an independent subsidiary of Reykjavík Energy (OR). In autumn of 2020, a landmark agreement was signed with the Swiss company Climeworks for the increased disposal of CO2 captured directly from the atmosphere. By the end of 2020, a total of 63,000 tonnes of CO2 from the Hellisheiðarvirkjun thermal power plant operated by Orka náttúrunnar had been sequestered using Carbfix technology.