STORECO2

The STORECO2 project aims at investigating the storage of carbon dioxide by mineralising ultramafic rocks, specifically serpentinites. Such a process would provide a way to irreversibly fix the CO₂ to the rock. However, the exact process for which this happens is yet subject to research. Therefore, in the project we aim at studying a natural analogue in the hills close to the city of Livorno (Tuscany), where several veins of magnesite are present within the serpentinites. The research questions the project wants to answer are the following. First, define the pressure and temperature thresholds for which the mineralization can occur. Second, understand the circumstances for which toxic substances (specifically, chromium) are released in the process. Finally, the project aims at understanding the structural geological conditions in which the mineralization occurs. In fact, the mineralized bodies are only present in certain areas, while in others the serpentinites are unaltered.