Research project of the University of Coimbra aims to verify if CO₂ may be used in the production of geothermal energy

The KIDIMIX project kicked off in 2018.

CP
Cristina Pinto
12 january, 2022≈ 2 min read

Cecília Santos

© Cristina Pinto

Short version in English by Diana Taborda

A research team from the University of Coimbra (UC) has developed a tool that, for the first time, makes it possible to test the feasibility of using carbon dioxide (CO₂) - one of the main greenhouse gases - to produce geothermal energy, a clean form of energy generated by the earth's heat.

The main objective of the project "KIDIMIX - Kinetics of Molecular and Thermal Diffusion for Model CO2 mixtures near Critical Point", which involves the Free University of Brussels in Belgium, "is to study the feasibility of using CO₂ captured from the atmosphere to produce geothermal energy, by injecting carbon dioxide into underground rock formations for geological storage, which may have benefits beyond reducing its concentration in the atmosphere. The temperature and pressure at the depth where geological storage takes place put carbon dioxide in a supercritical state, making it an excellent candidate for geothermal energy extraction," explains Cecília Santos, who coordinates the study with Ana Ribeiro. Both are researchers at the Chemistry Centre of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC).

The KIDIMIX project, which started in 2018, is funded by the EU through the COMPETE 2020 programme and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), with a budget of €200,000.