Practical and thermodynamic constraints on electromicrobially accelerated CO₂ mineralization

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology
• Geochemistry

Background:

• Global climate change necessitates significant atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) removal.
• Natural geological processes like ultramafic rock weathering mineralize CO2 into stable carbonates over millennia.
• Current methods for accelerating CO2 mineralization face limitations, such as the potential monopolization of biomass resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of electromicrobial production technologies (EMP) for producing biodegradable lixiviants.
• To assess the economic feasibility and scalability of EMP for accelerating CO2 mineralization.
• To propose a cost-effective solution for large-scale carbon sequestration.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing renewable electricity and microbial metabolism to synthesize biodegradable lixiviants.
• Calculating the production cost of lixiviants based on projected solar electricity prices.
• Estimating the cost of sequestering one tonne of CO2 using EMP-derived lixiviants.

Main Results:

• EMP can produce lixiviants at a cost of $200 to $400 per tonne.
• The cost to sequester one tonne of CO2 using EMP is estimated to be less than $100.
• This approach avoids the resource limitations associated with using cellulosic biomass.

Conclusions:

• Electromicrobial production technologies present a promising and cost-effective strategy for accelerating CO2 mineralization.
• EMP offers a scalable solution for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal, crucial for climate change mitigation.
• Further research and development are essential to realize the full potential of EMP for carbon sequestration.