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project

Carbon TrapRock

Programs
Geologic
Methods
  • Storage
Project Phase
Experimentation
Project Type
Novel Development

The Carbon TrapRock Project is a carbon removal and sequestration solution for the Pacific Northwest.

The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the world’s largest natural resources for permanently and safely storing CO2, a basalt lava formation known as the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). The CRBG spans 81,000 sq. miles across eastern Oregon and Washington, also dipping into Idaho and California. When CO2 is injected deep into this reservoir, it reacts with water and basalt to form carbonate minerals. This means that truly permanent carbon storage is possible, potentially at the gigaton scale.  

Carbon TrapRock envisions a “carbon shed” regional system that sources CO2 from existing industrial plants, direct air carbon capture (DACC), and low-value wood sources from overstocked forests across the Pacific Northwest. This CO2 can be gathered and injected into CRBG basalts, where it will be permanently stored and can contribute to state and national climate goals.

Carbon TrapRock Estimates

From 2009 to 2013, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) drilled and injected CO2 into a pilot well in Wallula, WA. This pilot demonstrated that the mineralization process in Columbia River basalts stores CO2 as carbonates within two years of injection. Researchers at PNNL estimated the storage capacity of the CRBG to be as much as 100 billion metric tons of CO2. Storage of even 1 billion metric tons would cover a large portion of total US annual emissions.

2M
Total Potential near term goal
12M
MTCO2e
Risk-Adjusted Near-Term Project Goal
2M
Potential Near-Term Project Goal
12M
from program Geologic

Carbon TrapRock Timeline

The CC Lab began building the Carbon TrapRock project in 2021 and has assembled a team of geology and hydrology experts, volumetric modeling experts, hard-rock drilling contractors, testing and monitoring providers, legal and permitting advisors, and other experts. 

We are working with federal and state agencies, Tribal Nations, and private landowners to identify potential storage locations and make longer-term plans for sourcing viable CO2. We aim to ensure that geologic surveys are done safely and in close cooperation with all key stakeholders.

investigation

Team development Regional partner & stakeholder development

implementation

Permitting review Pilot site selection & development

implementation

Developing networks for CO2 transport

implementation

Expanding feedstock inputs and scale

implementation

Monitoring and reporting of injection sites
Currently

Mitigating Wildfire Risk

Wildfires in the Pacific Northwest endanger local communities and release vast quantities of CO2. Droughts and high temperatures exacerbated by climate change, as well as overstocked forests, increase the severity of these fires. Fuel reduction treatments in high-risk areas mitigate the risk of severe wildfire, and produce low-value and waste wood which can be used for carbon sequestration and renewable energy. For example, through gasification, low-value wood can be converted into renewable energy, hydrogen, and pure CO2, which can then be injected in the CRBG. This process can reduce wildfire risk and associated emissions, resuscitate markets for low-value wood products, enable forest restoration, create valuable energy products, and reduce overall emissions through carbon capture and storage.

A wildfire scar in central Oregon. CC Lab, 2022.
A wildfire scar in central Oregon. CC Lab, 2022.
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Risks & Risk Mitigation

Sources of CO2 and modes of CO2 transport

The CC Lab is analyzing the network of existing CO2 point sources across the Pacific Northwest, including industrial plants like fertilizer, ethanol, and pulp and paper facilities, and modeling optimal locations for new sources like DACC plants and bioenergy systems. Sources must have relatively high CO2 purity to be viable for injection, and will need to be paired with accessible underground storage sites. Transporting CO2 to storage sites will require building new transportation networks, and may require developing new infrastructure.

Stakeholder opposition to new CO2 pipelines or underground storage

Injecting CO2 underground will require building new CO2 pipelines and permitting underground storage, both of which require stakeholder engagement and consent. Because the injection concept is novel and has only been tested in one pilot trial, landowners and communities are likely to be suspicious of the project and could delay its implementation.

Avoiding impact drinking water aquifers

Drilling new wells poses a social and environmental risk. The CC Lab is collaborating with experts on CRBG geology and hydrogeology to identify suitable sites for CO2 injection and mineralization which will avoid contaminating drinking water aquifers. 

Publications