These emissions may arise from distributed sources such as small power plants, industrial facilities and large power stations, ETI said.
The technology for carbon capture and storage (CCS) involves capturing carbon dioxide gas then storing it underground in oil and gas reservoirs and other porous areas.
ETI said minerals and CO2 can react together to permanently store CO2 as a solid carbonate product, which can then be safely stored, used as an aggregate or turned into useful end products such as bricks or filler for concrete. The project team will explore these and other opportunities for value added use of the resulting carbonate products.
A consortium led by Caterpillar and including Shell, the British Geological Survey, and the Centre for Innovation in Carbon Capture and Storage at the University of Nottingham, was selected to carry out this GBP1m project.
The study will provide a detailed assessment of the distribution of suitable materials together with an estimate of how much of these could practically be used and ultimately provide an indication of the economics of CO2 capture by mineralization.
It will also identify the technologies that could be developed to meet the UK requirements and determine the viability of mineralization compared to traditional CCS approaches.
ETI has previously launched the UK Storage Appraisal Project, to improve the estimates of how much practical potential geologic storage space is available around the country, since there remains a risk that potential sites may turn out to be insufficient in volume, uneconomic or impractical.
Dr David Clarke, chief executive of ETI, said: “Much of the research in this field has concentrated on the chemistry involved. The ETI is looking at the opportunity to develop system solutions and identify the necessary technologies.”
