# Ambient weathering of magnesium oxide for CO2 removal from air

Article · Noah McQueen, P. B. Kelemen, Gregory M. Dipple, Phil Renforth, Jennifer L. Wilcox

- Archive id: doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16510-3
- Published: 2020-07-03
- Venue: Nature Communications
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16510-3
- PMID: 32620820
- Citations: 209
- Source URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16510-3
- PDF: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16510-3.pdf
- Provenance: openalex

## Abstract

Abstract To avoid dangerous climate change, new technologies must remove billions of tonnes of CO 2 from the atmosphere every year by mid-century. Here we detail a land-based enhanced weathering cycle utilizing magnesite (MgCO 3 ) feedstock to repeatedly capture CO 2 from the atmosphere. In this process, MgCO 3 is calcined, producing caustic magnesia (MgO) and high-purity CO 2 . This MgO is spread over land to carbonate for a year by reacting with atmospheric CO 2 . The carbonate minerals are then recollected and re-calcined. The reproduced MgO is spread over land to carbonate again. We show this process could cost approximately $46–159 tCO 2 −1 net removed from the atmosphere, considering grid and solar electricity without post-processing costs. This technology may achieve lower costs than projections for more extensively engineered Direct Air Capture methods. It has the scalable potential to remove at least 2–3 GtCO 2 year −1 , and may make a meaningful contribution to mitigating climate change.

_Abstract reproduced under CC-BY (publisher license, via OpenAlex)._

Topics: [Carbon Dioxide Removal](https://space-kitty.com/topics/carbon-removal)

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