A European consortium led by the University of Antwerp is investigating whether it is possible to accelerate the weathering of silicate rocks – a natural process that removes CO₂ from the atmosphere – in a reactor.

To combat global warming, it will be necessary to reduce CO₂ levels in the atmosphere. One of the technologies used by industry to capture CO₂ is silicate weathering. Silicate rocks react with CO₂ and water to form bicarbonate, which fixes the CO₂ . In a natural environment, bacteria, worms and other organisms help to trigger this process. But the process is slow in nature. In industry, the weathering reactions in CO₂ capture processes take place under high pressure and at high temperatures. And that consumes a lot of energy.