Riyadh, April 13 (QNA) - Researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have succeeded in converting carbon dioxide into stable rock that is permanently trapped underground.

This was achieved using a closed-loop system that recycles water from deep underground, thus removing one of the major obstacles to applying this approach in arid environments.

Hussain Hoteit, Professor of Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering at KAUST, said: "Carbon mineralization has long been considered one of the safest methods for capturing carbon dioxide. However, its practical application has remained limited due to the high demand for water resources.

The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of applying this approach in water-scarce environments by leveraging the properties of the systems."

Researchers injected carbon dioxide deep into volcanic rock in the Jazan region. This approach relies on a system that recycles water from underground sources instead of using scarce freshwater.

As the carbon dioxide passes through the rock formations, it reacts with surrounding minerals, gradually transforming into stable rock and ensuring permanent carbon capture.

131 tons of carbon dioxide were injected deep into the earth, and monitoring showed that approximately 70 percent of it had been transformed into solid minerals within just 10 months.

This experiment was conducted in basaltic formations estimated to be between 21 and 30 million years old, significantly older than those used in previous experiments, reinforcing the indication that favorable conditions for carbon capture may be more widespread than previously thought.

The process of carbon mineralization, or "metal carbonization," is a well-known concept, but it still depends heavily on the availability of large quantities of water and highly reactive volcanic rocks.

Previous estimates have indicated that this process may require quantities of water up to 20-50 times the amount of carbon dioxide trapped, limiting its applicability outside of specific geological ranges. (QNA)