Enhanced rock weathering: potential UK greenhouse gas removal

Forrest, Natalie; Wentworth, Jonathan. 2024 Enhanced rock weathering: potential UK greenhouse gas removal. London, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), 29pp. (POSTnote 726)

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.58248/PN726

Abstract/Summary

The UK has committed to reaching Net Zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. While emissions will be mitigated where possible, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) is required to remove final emissions from hard–to–abate sectors. GGR involves removing GHGs, such as CO2, directly from the atmosphere, as opposed to capture from industrial sources. Rock weathering is a natural process that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, at a rate of ~1100 Mt CO2/year. Enhanced rock weathering (ERW aims) to accelerate this process in order to help address climate change. Fine rock particles are created, increasing the reactive surface area of the rock. This is then spread over land. When the rainwater and rock dust react, the resulting chemical products are released into the soil. Over time, these dissolved products may be taken up by plants, remain in the soil, or be transported to a sink, such as the ocean. Here, the products may react to form a solid carbonate mineral over thousands of years, which is then stable in the ocean for 10,000 years. Academic studies suggest that ERW has the potential to contribute 6-30 Mt CO2/year removal, and there are several ongoing UK field trials. Several uncertainties remain with ERW, including the rate of CO2 removal, timescales involved, and the efficiency of transport to the ocean, with the potential for some carbon to be re-released. For the highest scale up scenarios, there are challenges for scaling up rock extraction, crushing and transport and there would likely be adverse environmental impacts due to the extent of quarrying required, such as destruction of habitats, noise, water and air pollution. However, ERW has potential benefits for agricultural soils and may increase crop and forestry yields.

Item Type:	Publication - Report (Other)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.58248/PN726
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-)
Funders/Sponsors:	Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Openly available from Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences Ecology and Environment
Related URLs:	Publisher
Date made live:	27 Aug 2024 14:12 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537921

Item Type:

Publication - Report (Other)

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.58248/PN726

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-)

Funders/Sponsors:

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Openly available from Official URL link.

NORA Subject Terms:

Earth Sciences
Ecology and Environment