Notable ERW Projects Around the World
- UKERW Greenhouse Gas Removal Demonstration
- Enhanced weathering in the US Corn Belt delivers carbon removal with agronomic benefits
Project Highlights
Participants:
- Universities of Sheffield, Aberdeen, Leeds, Oxford, Heriot-Watt, Cardiff, Southampton
- National Oceanography Centre (NOC)
- Rothamsted Research
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
- Mineral and agricultural sector partners
Project Lead: Professor David Beerling FRS (University of Sheffield)
Rock Type:
- Crushed, calcium-magnesium rich silicate rocks, primarily basalts.
- Exploring artificial silicates derived from construction and demolition waste for potential future use.
Application Method:
- Spreading crushed rock on agricultural land (grasslands and arable fields) and incorporating it into the soil.
- Application rates vary based on location (20-40 tonnes/hectare).
Field Sites:
- Plynlimon, Mid Wales (upland acidic grasslands)
- North Wyke, Devon (lowland grazing plots)
- Harpenden, Hertfordshire (arable crops)
Project Scale and Timeline:
- Small plot-scale field trials (5 hectares to 24x24 meters).
- 4-year project with rock application for 2-3 years, followed by monitoring.
Measurement Techniques:
- Soil and water sampling/analysis (carbon content, alkalinity, nutrients).
- Greenhouse gas flux measurements (CO2, CH4, N2O).
- Monitoring of biomass production, crop yields, and nutrient uptake.
- Hydrological and meteorological monitoring.
Potential Benefits:
- Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) through CO2 sequestration.
- Improved soil health, grassland production, and crop yields.
- Reduced N2O emissions and potentially increased crop silicon uptake.
Environmental Impact Assessment:
- Investigating potential impacts on water quality, soil quality, biodiversity, and local ecosystems.
- Monitoring changes in species composition, water quality, and potential erosion risks.
Scalability and Replicability:
- Life cycle assessments and cost analyses to evaluate supply chain feasibility.
- Exploring construction and demolition waste as a future rock source.
- Developing scenarios for national ERW deployment considering resource availability and environmental limitations.
- Assessing public perception and social acceptability through stakeholder engagement.
Background Links:
- UK Enhanced Rock Weathering GGR Demonstrator - sheffield.ac.uk (sheffield.ac.uk)
- Why enhanced rock weathering? - CO2 Greenhouse Gas Removal Hub (co2re.org)
- GGR Demonstrator: Enhanced Weathering - Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) (rccs.hw.ac.uk)
- Introducing the UKRI Greenhouse Gas Removal Demonstrators Programme (GGR-D) - CO2RE - The Greenhouse Gas Removal Hub (youtube.com)
- Ecological Continuity Trust podcast featuring an interview with Alan Radbourne (soundcloud.com)
- Greenhouse Gas Removal via Enhanced Rock Weathering - UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (ceh.ac.uk) (ceh.ac.uk)
Discusses the UKRI Greenhouse Gas Removal Demonstrators Programme (GGR-D), exploring various removal techniques, including the use of biochar, quarry waste, peatland restoration, woodland creation, and biomass crops, while also considering their environmental, economic, social, cultural, ethical, legal, and governance implications. Also highlights a specific project within the GGR-D that examines the viability of using willow and miscanthus crops to aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A podcast from the Ecological Continuity Trust featuring an interview with Alan Radbourne, site manager at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Bangor. The focus is on the Plynlimon research catchments, examining their role in understanding water dynamics and ecological systems, with discussions on historical and ongoing research projects affecting both science and policy
Recent News:
Country
USA
Region
Illinois
Location
University of Illinois Energy Farm, Urbana
Project Highlights
A large-scale enhanced rock weathering field trial conducted over 4 years from 2016 to 2020 on an experimental farm located in the heart of the United States Corn Belt region
Participants
- Main Researchers: David J. Beerling, Ilsa B. Kantola, Michael D. Masters et al.
Funding
- Funding from the Leverhulme Trust through a Leverhulme Research Centre award, the United Kingdom Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship Programme, and the Yale Centre for Natural Carbon Capture??.
Type of Rock Used
- Rock: Basalt, specifically from Blue Ridge basalt rock dust provided by Specialty Granules, Blue Ridge Summit, PA.
- Reason for Choice: Basalt is noted for its properties that promote efficient weathering, releasing cations that enhance soil fertility and enable carbon dioxide removal.
Application Method
- Method: The basalt rock dust was applied to farmland soils used for maize-soybean rotations, spread over large land areas (experimental farm in the US Corn Belt), and incorporated into the soil by chisel plowing.
Geographic Location with Reason
- Location: University of Illinois Energy Farm, Urbana, Illinois.
- Reason: This location is in the heart of the US Corn Belt, representing an intensively managed agricultural land area, making it ideal for studying the impacts of enhanced weathering on typical commercial farming operations??.
Scale of the Project
- Land Area Covered: 3.8 hectares for the main field and additional smaller plots for detailed studies.
- Timescale: A 4-year study from 2016 to 2020.
Measurement Techniques
- Measurement of weathering mass loss of major divalent cations from basalt using soil analysis, rather than water chemistry, to provide a more straightforward and adaptable method for farm-scale monitoring and verification of carbon dioxide removal potential??.
Supplementary Benefits
- Soil Health and Crop Yields: Soil fertility with potential to improve yields for maize and soybeanwere made, including enhanced availability of key nutrients (potassium, magnesium), as well as mitigation of soil acidification
Environmental Impact
- Potential Environmental Impacts/Benefits: Included measurements of trace metals in grains or soil to better unerstand adverse environmental impacts. Also looked at effects of erw on soil pH and nutrient availability
Scalability and Replicability
- Investigated the potential of using basalt for enhanced weathering, through integration into existing agricultural practices without significant additional infrastructure.
Stakeholders
Leverhulme Research Centre UK, the United Kingdom Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship Programme, Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture??
Background Links:
- Related Research Paper (doi.org)
- Field trials reveal crushed rock boosts carbon removal and improves crop yields - phys.org (phys.org)
Recent News:
Projects 
