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Description
Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), a technology based on amending soils with crushed calcium- and magnesium-rich silicate minerals has substantial large-scale CO2 removal potential globally and in the UK. Evaluation of the available resources of these minerals and current production capacity is crucial for early-stage deployment of this approach. A robust understanding of the potential limitations in exploiting these resources is also required to ensure the scalability of ERW. This paper provides a spatial inventory of the basic silicate rock resources in the UK along with the current production capacity and permitted reserve of quarries extracting these rocks. We also integrate spatial data to assess the potential environmental and social impacts of current rock extraction. Outcrops of basic silicate rocks in the UK cover an area of approximately 10,180 km2 which are mainly distributed in Northern Ireland and in the central belt of Scotland. 68 active and 100 inactive quarries were identified within outcrops of basic silicate rocks. 14.8 Mt yr-1 of basic silicate rock are estimated to be extracted from the 68 active quarries from which up to 3.7 Mt yr-1 of basic silicate waste fines is estimated to be produced which may be available for ERW in the UK. Transport distances are calculated between basic rock resources and the UK’s croplands where these materials may be applied for ERW. The relative appropriateness of the UK’s croplands for CDR are also calculated based on their proximity to basic rock resources and climate parameters that control the rate of EW on croplands.
