27. nov 2020
OrkuveitanCarbfix, an innovation start-up company that combats climate change by converting carbon dioxide to stone, today received a special innovation award at the Festa and Reykjavík City Climate Awards. Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir, CEO of Carbfix, says that the recognition is a great encouragement for the newly established company as the necessity for climate action is clear.
Reykjavík Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson announced the awards at the Annual Climate Conference of the City of Reykjavík and Festa - Center for Sustainability. In 2015, the City and Festa initiated the signing of more than 100 Icelandic CEOs committing to a climate declaration, which subsequently was presented at the United Nations’ Climate Conference in Paris.
Carbfix, a subsidiary of Orkuveita Reykjavíkur, began operations at the beginning of the year. It is working with the revolutionary method in climate mitigation, developed with the University of Iceland, to permanently remove carbon dioxide and store it as a mineral in basalt rock layers. The method has been a success at ON Power’s Hellisheidi power plant and Carbfix’ task is to rapidly and significantly expand its use to curb climate change.
The rationale for rewarding Carbfix states:
With the revolutionary technology of Carbfix, the company has since 2007 petrified close to 70,000 tons of carbon dioxide and the innovation developed in Iceland is now undergoing an international patent process. In addition, Carbfix has attracted attention domestically and abroad and has received international awards for the method that has been developed, including the European Geothermal Energy Council's Innovation Award.
“We are very proud of this recognition from Festa and the City of Reykjavík and grateful for the encouragement it entails,” said Edda Sif when receiving the recognition today. “While combatting the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate threat has receded from public debate. Now, eyeing the light of end of that tunnel, it is imperative that we refocus on our climate goals. If there is anything Covid-19 has taught us, it is that we can make drastic changes to things we thought were carved in stone. We at Carbfix are thankful for the encouragement today and pledge to keep on transforming carbon dioxide into stone, in a literal and figurative sense.”