Deep Saline Aquifers Found Suitable for Long-Term Carbon Dioxide Storage

Reuters has reported that researchers have found that carbon dioxide could be stored for centuries by injecting it into deep saline aquifers. One member of the research team, Ruben Juanes from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was quoted as saying “We have shown that this is a much safer way of disposing of CO₂ than previously believed because a large portion—maybe all—of the CO₂ will be trapped in small blobs in the briny aquifer.” If this type of sequestration is feasible the CO₂ gas emitted from coal or gas power plants could be trapped and injected for very long-term underground storage. Since CO₂ is considered to be the main greenhouse gas contributing to global warming this research finding would seem to provide some additional hope that the warming of the Earth from greenhouse gas emissions can be contained. The main concern over sequestration methods has been slow leakage of CO₂ from the storage site. This study appears to address that concern.

Last year researchers reported that carbon dioxide could be permanently stored in deep-sea sediments. This would seem to represent a problem with regard to transporting carbon dioxide emitted from power plants far from the ocean to deep-sea sites for storage. Perhaps it would be more feasible for plants along the coast. Certainly the deep saline aquifer storage strategy would seem to make more sense when logistics is taken into account.