Quarrying's Vital Role in a Net Zero World

To mitigate the effects of climate change, we need to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. There are many ways in which this can be done, and we will need all of them. The technique of Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is one of these. In ERW, a crushed silicate rock is added to soil, where it weathers. This process removes atmospheric CO2, introduced into the soil by plant growth.

The rock used for ERW typically is sourced from hard-rock quarries that produce aggregates for construction. The crusher fines are ideal for this purpose, and are readily available from current quarries.

In general, a tonne of crushed basalt can remove around 230 kg of CO2 if it weathers completely, so around 4 tonnes of rock are needed to remove 1 tonne of CO2. The amount that will be required to make a difference will be enormous, but quarries function within a permitting system that is very well established, given the national strategic need to produce materials for construction following the Second World War. They are also very energy efficient, with minimal carbon use in production. We have a climate emergency; the quarrying industry can now play a vital role in our response to this.

David Manning is Professor of Soil Science at Newcastle University. A Chartered Geologist, he was President of the Geological Society of London from 2014-2016. He has worked closely with the minerals industry throughout his career, and has a special interest in the interface between geology and biology. He currently serves on the British Geological Survey’s Science Advisory Committee, and worked closely on the construction phase of the UK Geoenergy Observatories. Currently his research focuses on the use of rocks as alternative sources of crop nutrients as well as CO2 removal, with collaborations in Brazil and Thailand.

17:30-18:00 - Tea and Coffee (NEIMME AGM)

18:00-18:50 - In person talk and live stream starts

18:05 to 18:50 - Lecture Starts

18:50 to 19:00 - Q & A

Welcome to our December NEIMME Lecture. NEIMME is the Royal Chartered membership organisation for Engineering, Science and Technology in the North.
For more information about our events and the benefits of NEIMME membership see: https://mininginstitute.org.uk/membership/
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Host or Publisher North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers