The current demonstration version of Silverstone has been operational since 2014, and already captures about 30% of carbon dioxide (corresponding to about 12,000 tonnes of CO2 annually) and 75% of hydrogen sulphide from the power plant. With the additional of the full-scale Silverstone project, 34,000 tonnes of CO2 are expected to be captured and injected annually.
This project alone will also cover 10% of Iceland’s 2030 carbon neutrality goals according to the Climate Action Plan. It will also give the Hellisheidi power plant a unique distriction as the world’s first near carbon-neutral geothermal power plant.
Carbfix and ON Power, subsidiaries of Reykjavík Energy, have received a grant of EUR 3.9 million from the EU Innovation Fund for the Silverstone project.
Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir, managing director of Carbfix, expresses her delight that construction has started, as it marks a significant milestone in presenting the Carbfix technology as a large-scale solution, which is not only a cost-effective solution but also as one that makes a global impact.
ON Power’s managing director, Árni Hrannar Haraldsson, emphasises the importance of being part of the solution against climate change.
Earlier this year, Carbfix had also announced the start of operations of a new pilot carbon capture and storage plant at the Nesjavellir geothermal power plant. The pilot plant captures all the H2S and 98% of the CO2 emissions of the geothermal power plant and injects it in to the basaltic subsurface at the Nesjavellir injection site.
