Scientists must overcome serious environmental challenges if the world is to achieve its carbon neutrality goals by 2050. Since the Industrial Revolution, man-made pollution has spiraled to new heights, damaging sensitive ecosystems and health and altering weather patterns. One method to combat this climate change that could reduce environmental impact is CO2 storage. However, there are many limiting factors.
Thankfully, Stanford scientists have introduced a novel method of trapping and storing CO2 that takes inspiration from ancient concrete production methods. This highly effective, low-cost solution could revolutionize industries and help to prevent further environmental damage. Here’s what you need to know.
CO2 Capture
Notably, Earth has a very effective means to capture CO2. Through the process of weathering, minerals change their chemical composite over thousands of years, slowly absorbing CO2 along their journey.
Specifically, the Earth’s Mg-rich silicate minerals react with water and atmospheric CO2. This chemical reaction causes ion exchange, resulting in the creation of bicarbonate ions and solid carbonate minerals. Both of these minerals provide excellent CO2 absorption.
Weathering Takes a Long Time
The process of weathering works great if you have a millennium to wait for the process to complete. However, mankind is on a tighter schedule, as there is an immediate need to combat the risks of greenhouse gases and other emissions. As such, there has been lots of research put towards capturing CO2 through other methods.
Weathered Minerals
Man-Made CO2 Storage Solutions
Since the 1990s, there have been significant strides made in the carbon capture sector. Scientists have created several methods to prevent carbon from escaping into the atmosphere. Of these techniques, direct air capture methods are the most advanced. These devices utilize large fans to push air through portals that support chemical reactions, transforming the carbon into less harmful chemicals or removing it from the air completely.
Problems with Today’s CO2 Storage Systems
There are several drawbacks to today’s CO2 capture methods. For one, direct air capture systems are expensive to produce, maintain, and integrate. These added costs make them impractical for many businesses and applications. Additionally, they are energy intensive, further driving up the operational costs of these systems. Thankfully, this scenario is about to change.
CO2 Storage Study
A team of Stanford scientists recently published “Thermal Ca2+/Mg2+ exchange reactions to synthesize CO2 removal materials” in the scientific journal Nature. The study looked at creating a new chemical process that activates the inert silicate minerals via an ion-exchange reaction.
Enhanced Weathering Techniques
The goal of the study was to show how, through the use of heat and select minerals, the weathering process can be sped up from centuries to hours. The team began their research by heating calcium oxide with minerals containing magnesium and silicate ions.
The controlled heat enables the silicates to excite and swap ions, creating two CO2-hungry minerals, magnesium oxide and calcium silicate. These highly reactive minerals capture and store atmospheric carbon at a rate that is thousands of times faster than their previous structures.
Inspiration
Interestingly, the inspiration for this game-changing research comes from an ancient concrete mixing method. The process required workers to heat calcium oxide to 1,400 degrees in a kiln. From there, the ancient builders would mix in sand. However, for their purposes, the researchers altered this step.
Instead, the team mixed calcium oxide with other minerals containing magnesium and silicate ions to create magnesium oxide and calcium silicate. Notably, the team experimented with different minerals, including olivine, serpentine, and augite. All of these options proved effective.
CO2 Storage Test
Stanford University chemists tested the reactivity of the new minerals in room temperature settings. The tests involved using both pure CO2 and open-air environments. The tests involved exposing calcium silicate and magnesium oxide to open air to register the reactivity at room temperature. The results were eye-opening.
Testing Results
The engineers were pleased to see that the CaCO3 and CaSO4 reacted quantitatively with diverse Mg-rich silicates. When exposed to water and pure CO2, the lab-weathered samples absorbed CO2 at unprecedented rates. Specifically, the calcium silicate and magnesium oxide only needed two hours to complete their CO2 extractions.
Open Air test
To test the new material in a more realistic environment. The team conducted open-air tests. They used wet samples of calcium silicate and magnesium oxide for this stage. The minerals were found to function as planned. Their CO2 capturing was slower because there was a significantly lower concentration of CO2 than the pure CO2 tests, but still far more effective than natural options.
Benefits of the Study
There are a lot of reasons why a company would want to leverage this data to improve their environment. For one, it’s a more affordable solution compared to direct carbon capture. The process takes a single reactive mineral and creates two designed specifically to remove CO2 with no moving parts, adding to its reliability.
Low-Energy
The engineers noted that the same kiln designs used to make cement were the ideal method to produce the new minerals. This approach requires less than half the energy used by leading direct air capture options. Specifically, it requires -1 MWh per tonne of CO2 removed, making it a smart solution for most applications.
Accessible
This study is seen by many as a game changer because of the accessibility to the materials needed to make it work. Currently, scientists estimate that there are 100,000 gigatons of olivine and serpentine reserves. Additionally, the team noted that there are +400 million tons of mine tailings with suitable silicates that are generated worldwide. These options provide more than enough material to counteract man’s CO2 issues.
Also, because these materials can be created in standard kilns, there’s not a huge technical barrier that needs to be overcome. The setup is easy, can be moved and integrated with minimal effort, and utilizes readily available tools, minerals, and knowledge. Additionally, cement kilns run for decades, reducing maintenance costs.
Scalable
Another major benefit of this study is that it introduces a scalable option for industrial CO2 storage. Direct air capture systems require a lot of adjusting to integrate, and their costs can make them out of reach for many manufacturers at this time.
The enhanced weathering method provides a scalable alternative that can grow to meet the needs of the global industrial sector. Interestingly, the team estimates that each ton of reactive material will remove one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
CO2 Storage Applications
There are a lot of applications for a practical and affordable CO2 storage option. Companies continue to seek ways to meet carbon restrictions and the global goal of net zero emissions. This technology could help achieve that goal and make Mg-rich silicates a valuable resource at the same time.
Agriculture
The agricultural sector could gain the most from this study. Farmers spend a lot of funding adding alkaline to the soil to raise the pH in their fields to improve harvests. This technology would allow farmers to remove carbon in the silicates that plants can leverage while at the same time adding alkaline-based minerals to improve yields. Additionally, the stored carbon captured minerals will eventually make their way to the ocean for safe and permanent storage.
Industrial
There are a lot of industrial applications for this technology. For one, you could see a day where manufacturers distribute magnesium oxide and calcium silicate over massive operations to remove CO2 from ambient air. This approach offers a cost-efficient and easy-to-initiate option.
Study Researchers
Stanford researchers Matthew Kanan and Yuxuan Chen led the CO2 storage study. They worked with teams from Sanford and received a grant from the Sustainability Accelerator at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Now, the group seeks to find partners to help develop and bring their CO2 storage products to market.
Companies Leading the CO2 Storage Market
The drive to achieve carbon neutrality has helped to create a booming carbon storage economy. This sector features companies that develop, provide, or offer carbon capture tax solutions to the market. These firms have seen significant growth over the last 5 years due to increased demand for clean energy and pollution control. Here’s one company that continues to lead the industry.
Quanta Services, Inc (PWR -0.75%) entered the market in 1997. Its founder, John R. Colson, wanted to offer enterprise clientele energy infrastructure solutions. In 1998, Quanta Services went public. In less than a decade, it was listed on the S&P 500 index. Today, the company has products spanning a field of industries,s including CO2 capture, energy generation, renewables, and many others.
Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR -0.75%)
Quanta Services, Inc. is a major competitor in the CO2 capture industry. It currently employs 58,400 workers and offers its products globally. The company has shown resilience over volatile market conditions and has a current market cap of $38.42B. These factors, combined with its reputable past, make Quanta Services Inc. a smart addition to your portfolio.
Latest on Quanta Services
CO2 Storage through Enhanced Natural Weathering is a Major Breakthrough
The future of CO2 storage will depend on many factors. This latest research opens the door for large-scale CO2 cleanup. Interestingly, the engineers currently can produce 33 pounds of silicate material weekly. However, millions of tons of magnesium oxide and calcium silicate are available. As such, their next steps will be forging partnerships to improve the extraction and conversion processes.
The concept of permanently removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere using the inexhaustible supply of minerals on Earth makes sense. As such, this scientific breakthrough could have a resounding effect on the CO2 capture industry and lead to this technology becoming as common as AC units. For now, you must applaud the ingenuity of the team’s efforts and creativity.
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Study Reference:
1. Chen, Y., Kanan, M.W. Thermal Ca2+/Mg2+ exchange reactions to synthesize CO2 removal materials. Nature 638, 972–979 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08499-2