CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just Transition
South Africa is the largest CO2 emitter on the African continent. These emissions stem from a heavy reliance on coal as the primary energy fuel and contributor toward socio-economic development. The South African government has targeted reducing CO2 emissions by more than half in the next 10 years....
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Academy of Science of South Africa
2022-07-01
|
| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/12396 |
| _version_ | 1811223088218505216 |
|---|---|
| author | Taufeeq Dhansay Thulani Maupa Mthokozisi Twala Zamampondo Sibewu Vhuhwavhohau Nengovhela Pertunia Mudau Marietjie Schalenkamp Nthabiseng Mashale Thomas Muedi Clement Ndou Nosibulelo Zilibokwe Themba Mothupi Musarrat Safi Nigel Hicks |
| author_facet | Taufeeq Dhansay Thulani Maupa Mthokozisi Twala Zamampondo Sibewu Vhuhwavhohau Nengovhela Pertunia Mudau Marietjie Schalenkamp Nthabiseng Mashale Thomas Muedi Clement Ndou Nosibulelo Zilibokwe Themba Mothupi Musarrat Safi Nigel Hicks |
| author_sort | Taufeeq Dhansay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
South Africa is the largest CO2 emitter on the African continent. These emissions stem from a heavy reliance on coal as the primary energy fuel and contributor toward socio-economic development. The South African government has targeted reducing CO2 emissions by more than half in the next 10 years. To meet climate change mitigation scenarios, while alleviating continued emissions, South Africa will look to technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage. Initial assessments of South Africa’s potential for CO2 storage have focused on deep saline aquifers within volcano-sedimentary sequences along the near and offshore regions. Sustaining the Just Transition will, however, require additional storage capacity. In this study, we make an initial assessment of possible CO2 storage in basaltic sequences of the Ventersdorp Supergroup. Geological and mineralogical information was ascertained from borehole data. The geological information suggests that the subsurface extent of the Ventersdorp Supergroup is at least 80 000 km2 larger than previously mapped, extending beneath major point-source CO2 emitters and active coalfields. Furthermore, petrographic analyses suggest pore space of up to ca 15% with minimal alteration, and preservation of mafic silicate minerals that would enable reactive carbonation of injected CO2. Notable metasomatic and hydrothermal alteration is confined to significant contact horizons, such as the lowermost Ventersdorp Contact Reef. These results suggest that basaltic sequences may exponentially increase South Africa’s CO2 sequestration storage capacity and may have a significant impact on the country’s Just Transition.
Significance:
This study shows that basaltic sequences may support the permanent storage of anthropogenic CO2 in South Africa, in particular, proximal to significant point-source CO2 emitters. South Africa has voluminous and widespread basaltic sequences, which, in combination, increase South Africa’s geological CO2 storage potential by several orders of magnitude. These storage reservoirs can have a direct impact in South Africa by enabling a sustainable Just Transition toward a low-carbon economy while meeting intended climate change mitigation scenarios.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:26:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5bd75155a8b4354a8d17d61dbf9a061 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:26:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5bd75155a8b4354a8d17d61dbf9a0612022-12-22T03:40:21ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892022-07-011187/810.17159/sajs.2022/12396CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just TransitionTaufeeq Dhansay0Thulani Maupa1Mthokozisi Twala2Zamampondo Sibewu3Vhuhwavhohau Nengovhela4Pertunia Mudau5Marietjie Schalenkamp6Nthabiseng Mashale7Thomas Muedi8Clement Ndou9Nosibulelo Zilibokwe10Themba Mothupi11Musarrat Safi12Nigel Hicks13Council for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South AfricaCouncil for Geoscience, Pretoria, South Africa South Africa is the largest CO2 emitter on the African continent. These emissions stem from a heavy reliance on coal as the primary energy fuel and contributor toward socio-economic development. The South African government has targeted reducing CO2 emissions by more than half in the next 10 years. To meet climate change mitigation scenarios, while alleviating continued emissions, South Africa will look to technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage. Initial assessments of South Africa’s potential for CO2 storage have focused on deep saline aquifers within volcano-sedimentary sequences along the near and offshore regions. Sustaining the Just Transition will, however, require additional storage capacity. In this study, we make an initial assessment of possible CO2 storage in basaltic sequences of the Ventersdorp Supergroup. Geological and mineralogical information was ascertained from borehole data. The geological information suggests that the subsurface extent of the Ventersdorp Supergroup is at least 80 000 km2 larger than previously mapped, extending beneath major point-source CO2 emitters and active coalfields. Furthermore, petrographic analyses suggest pore space of up to ca 15% with minimal alteration, and preservation of mafic silicate minerals that would enable reactive carbonation of injected CO2. Notable metasomatic and hydrothermal alteration is confined to significant contact horizons, such as the lowermost Ventersdorp Contact Reef. These results suggest that basaltic sequences may exponentially increase South Africa’s CO2 sequestration storage capacity and may have a significant impact on the country’s Just Transition. Significance: This study shows that basaltic sequences may support the permanent storage of anthropogenic CO2 in South Africa, in particular, proximal to significant point-source CO2 emitters. South Africa has voluminous and widespread basaltic sequences, which, in combination, increase South Africa’s geological CO2 storage potential by several orders of magnitude. These storage reservoirs can have a direct impact in South Africa by enabling a sustainable Just Transition toward a low-carbon economy while meeting intended climate change mitigation scenarios. https://sajs.co.za/article/view/12396carbon captureutilisation and storageCO2 sequestrationVentersdorp Supergroup Just Transition |
| spellingShingle | Taufeeq Dhansay Thulani Maupa Mthokozisi Twala Zamampondo Sibewu Vhuhwavhohau Nengovhela Pertunia Mudau Marietjie Schalenkamp Nthabiseng Mashale Thomas Muedi Clement Ndou Nosibulelo Zilibokwe Themba Mothupi Musarrat Safi Nigel Hicks CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just Transition South African Journal of Science carbon capture utilisation and storage CO2 sequestration Ventersdorp Supergroup Just Transition |
| title | CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just Transition |
| title_full | CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just Transition |
| title_fullStr | CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just Transition |
| title_full_unstemmed | CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just Transition |
| title_short | CO2 storage potential of basaltic rocks, Mpumalanga: Implications for the Just Transition |
| title_sort | co2 storage potential of basaltic rocks mpumalanga implications for the just transition |
| topic | carbon capture utilisation and storage CO2 sequestration Ventersdorp Supergroup Just Transition |
| url | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/12396 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT taufeeqdhansay co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT thulanimaupa co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT mthokozisitwala co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT zamampondosibewu co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT vhuhwavhohaunengovhela co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT pertuniamudau co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT marietjieschalenkamp co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT nthabisengmashale co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT thomasmuedi co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT clementndou co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT nosibulelozilibokwe co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT thembamothupi co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT musarratsafi co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition AT nigelhicks co2storagepotentialofbasalticrocksmpumalangaimplicationsforthejusttransition |