Evaluation of geological CO2 storage involving adsorption on mining wastes from coal processing

Abstract The continuous increase of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions since the industrialization in the 18th century is a serious problem regarding the climate change. In order to reduce CO2 emissions, approaches for the improvement of power generation efficiency and the implementation of CO2 capture at point sources followed by subsurface CO2 storage are being pursued. Predominantly geological formations are regarded as potential CO2 storage sites, but coal mines are also being discussed regarding their applicability for CO2 storage. In mining regions world-wide, ground subsidence originating from extensive mining is a serious problem resulting in damage which greatly increases the costs of raw material production. Within the scope of this thesis an approach for sorptive CO2 storage in coal mines was developed. By using mining wastes for CO2 immobilization and stowage of mining cavities, this technology combines CO2 storage with subsidence mitigation. A series of laboratory experiments on different mining wastes was conducted to determine their subsidence mitigation and CO2 storage potentials. Furthermore, CO2 storage security in gob areas was investigated by application of adapted numerical multi-phase and multi-component flow and transport models.