Mining activity has traditionally been affected by environmental issues. However, increased environmental awareness and consistent focus from the industry open possibilities for improved analysis, actions, and use of modern technology in order to efectively deal with these issues. Nordic Mining’s ambition is to have a leading role in this area. A step in this direction is the strategic joint co-operation agreement with StatoilHydro. The agreement comprises a program for development and testing of the use of CO2 in processing of various minerals, hence increasing the value of the extracted minerals.
Development of carbonation processes for mineral ores can also represent a viable alternative for storage of CO2. Since the CO2 is stored as stable minerals, the concerns around safety and the requirements for monitoring are few. Further, this may contribute to reduction of CO2 to the atmosphere. In addition new commercial mineral products may emerge from the technology development.
Read this article about rocks that could be harnessed to sponge vast amounts of CO2 from air