Researchers at the Technical University Vienna have recently demonstrated at molecular level how CO₂ can be converted into solid rock, with water acting as the key enabler in the process.
The breakthrough explains why up to 60% of injected CO₂ can mineralise within just two years in real-world conditions, significantly faster than previously understood. By turning CO₂ into a stable mineral, this approach offers permanent storage without leakage risk, addressing one of the key challenges in carbon management. While large‑scale deployment remains constrained, the immediate relevance lies in hard‑to‑abate industries such as cement and heavy manufacturing, where emissions must be permanently removed rather than reduced.
For international stakeholders, including Singapore’s innovation ecosystem, the message is clear: Austria combines frontier research with applied climate solutions, offering strong potential for joint development, piloting and deployment of next‑generation carbon storage technologies.
For all those who are interested to dive deeper into the topic, have a look at the study report at How rock removes CO₂ from the atmosphere.
