The CO2 Lab in Longyearbyen: From Mining Town to "Green Showcase"
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The UNIS CO2 Lab is located 5 kilometers from Longyearbyen. (Photo: Christi Turner) -
The blue triangular structure covers one of five deep wells that have been drilled at the CO2 Lab site, to evaluate the feasibility of storing carbon dioxide on Svalbard. (Photo: Christi Turner) -
Using data gathered from wells like the one under this structure, UNIS CO2 Lab scientists have confirmed that there is a suitable CO2 "reservoir" 670 to 970 meters below the surface. (Photo: Christi Turner) -
Coal mining was the first major industry in Svalbard, giving rise to what has become the town of Longyearbyen. Over time, ice sheets have removed layers of rock, bringing coal-bearing layers close to the surface. (Photo: Christi Turner) -
The town of Longyearbyen was established in 1906, when John Munro Longyear and Frederick Ayer purchased the local coalfields and established the Arctic Coal Company. Originally known as Longyear City, what was once a mining town has transformed into a center of leading scientific research in recent decades. (Photo: Christi Turner) -
UNIS CO2 Lab program managers say that Longyearbyen is an ideal test subject for a carbon capture and sequestration (CSS) experiment. Longyearbyen is a small community, fully powered on coal, and benefits from the existence of the University Centre at Svalbard, a leading institution in developing CSS technology. (Photo: Christi Turner) -
The Longyearbyen power plant burns about 30,000 tonnes of coal per year to heat and provide electricity to the city of Longyearbyen. The CO2 Lab plans to capture all of the CO2 emissions resulting from the plant's activities, and store it in an underground "reservoir." (Photo: Christi Turner) -
An map of boreholes around Svalbard, courtesy of the Permafrost Observatory Project. These boreholes are used to study the geological composition of the ground, and in the case of the CO2 Lab, its suitability for carbon storage. The cluster of three boreholes to the far right is located at the UNIS CO2 Lab site; the interactive map can be found at http://tinyurl.com/q5pd6xl. (Image: Permafrost Observatory Project, Svalbard) -
Mine Number 7, east of Longyearbyen, is the source of all the coal used to power the city. The mine extracts up to 70,000 tonnes annually, with only about 30,000 tonnes used at the Longyearbyen power plant. The rest is exported to Germany, for steel production. (Photo: Christi Turner) -
Ole Arve Misund, director of the University Centre in Svalbard, is confident that the UNIS C02 Lab will become a global model for innovative carbon capture and sequestration. (Photo: Christi Turner)
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