Project Silverstone: Reduction of CO2 emissions by 95% at the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, SW-Iceland

Abstract

The Silverstone Project will move the demonstrated Carbfix CO2 mineral storage solution to full-scale at the ON Power Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant in SW-Iceland, enabling the world’s first zero-emission geothermal combined heat and power production and advancing the technology for further reduction of CO2 emissions from concentrated emission streams. The Carbfix technology involves dissolving otherwise emitted CO2 in water in a dedicated capture plant and injecting into the basaltic bedrock for permanent mineral storage of the injected CO2, where it mineralizes in less than two years through geochemical reactions. The Silverstone project will build on over a decade of experience gained by both Carbfix and ON Power at the Hellisheidi site. The timeline of the project spans from 2021 until 2030, with commissioning of the Silverstone capture plant planned early 2025. Full scale operations at Hellisheidi will deliver 10% of the emission reductions that Iceland’s Climate Action Plan calls for by 2030 within the energy and industrial sectors, and furthermore provide a great potential for limiting geothermal gas emissions worldwide.