UK bets on dormant volcanoes for sustainable metal extraction
British scientists are exploring the depths of dormant volcanoes to extract metals essential for batteries and energy, promising a revolution in global mining practices.
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Volcanoes: An unexpected source of energy and metals
Deep in the Caribbean, on the island of Montserrat, a group of researchers from the University of Oxford are studying a dormant volcano that could hold the keys to a clean industrial revolution. Far from worrying about its next eruption, the team is focusing on geofluids, the fluids rich in essential metals that snake beneath the volcano’s surface.
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A revolutionary approach to metal extraction
Traditional metal mining is a significant source of pollution and greenhouse gases, accounting for between 4 and 7% of global emissions. Jonathan Blundy, professor of earth sciences at Oxford, is leading the initiative to develop a method of extracting metals directly from these volcanic fluids, reducing the environmental impact associated with conventional methods.
The benefits of the ReSET program
Oxford’s ReSET (Research for Sustainable Extraction Technology) program is not just a scientific exploration. It represents a quest to transform the extraction of metals such as copper, lithium and even gold, using the natural resources of volcanoes without disturbing the ecological balance. This approach would also generate geothermal energy, using the internal heat of the volcano.
Access to geofluids: an underexploited energy potential
Geofluids, once accessible, offer a double opportunity: the extraction of metals in liquid phase and the production of geothermal energy. The latter, integrated into the green energy mix, could provide a quantity of energy much higher than that obtained by traditional geothermal technologies.
Technical issues and challenges
The Oxford team, by drilling holes around the Montserrat volcano, hopes to develop a methodology that can be applied to other volcanic sites. However, they acknowledge that the technology is still in its infancy and the benefits of their research are unlikely to be immediate.
A sustainable model for the future
In addition to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the proposed technology would allow the extracted fluids to be returned to the subsurface, making the extraction process not only less polluting but also greener. The ReSET team, composed of geologists, chemists, historians, lawyers and economists, is working to develop an extraction method that is both sustainable and equitable.
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This article explores a pioneering initiative by British researchers to sustainably exploit resources from dormant volcanoes. By using geofluids to extract metals and produce energy, they envision a radical transformation of mining practices, contributing to a greener energy transition and reducing the environmental impact of natural resource exploitation.
Source : The Independant
