A new roadmap is being developed by the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia to support and accelerate the decarbonisation of Western Australia.
Set to be released by February 2023, the roadmap will outline the potential of integrated mineral carbonisation
Mineral carbonation is a carbon dioxide (CO2) removal method and a natural rock weathering process, where CO2 binds to minerals in the Earth’s crust
This natural and passive process can permanently remove and store large volumes of CO2 from the atmosphere, transforming it from a gas into solid materials. This process is slow to occur in nature so the roadmap, led by Professor Michael Hitch at Curtin University, will identify how this natural process can be accelerated.
Finding technological solutions for cost-effective, rapid and large-scale CO2 sequestration creates the potential for Western Australia to sequester more emissions than it produces, which will support the state’s transition to a resilient, low carbon economy.
Nickel tailings are ideally suited for this purpose. BHP Nickel West is working with leading Australian and international experts to investigate methods of increasing the carbonation reaction to store CO2 into its mine tailings.
This will reduce or offset its operational greenhouse gas emissions and lower their carbon footprint
Western Australian Mines and Petroleum Minister, Bill Johnston, said, “Mineral carbonation has the potential to remove and permanently store carbon dioxide at the gigatonne scale to quickly transition Western Australia to a low carbon economy.
“Western Australia has both the natural endowment of minerals and a sophisticated mining sector to rapidly advance mineral carbonation technologies and create significant strategic economic benefit.
“Government industry research partnerships will be critical to increase the speed and scale of deployment to achieve this goal.”
BHP Nickel West Asset President, Jessica Farrell, said the project supports BHP’s own climate change goals, as well as enhancing the sustainability credentials of its nickel products in the supply chains and create a commercial advantage in a competitive market
“Our work to enhance the capacity of Nickel West’s mine tailings to absorb and store carbon is just one example of how BHP is pursuing its decarbonisation goals through innovation, technology, collaboration and empowering our people to develop their ideas,” Ms Farrell said.
“Nickel is critical to global decarbonisation and is an increasingly sought-after product for the electric vehicle battery market.”
