ALROSA, the world leader in diamond mining, has invited representatives of diamond mining companies from African countries to join the expert group on a project to study the ability of diamond-bearing rock – kimberlite to absorb carbon dioxide.
According to ALROSA Chief Executive Officer Pavel Marinychev, research and practical application of kimberlite’s unique properties would help diamond mining companies minimise their carbon footprint and make an important contribution to improving the climate balance.
Mr. Marinychev was speaking at the Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum held in St Petersburg, Russia.
the Head of ALROSA spoke about the company’s activities in environmental safety and measures aimed at reducing the carbon footprint.
These include increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the balance of energy consumption, improving energy efficiency, implementing research projects and introducing the best available technologies.
One of the promising areas of the environmental agenda, according Mr. Marinychev, was the research of kimberlite’s ability to absorb CO2.
In 2023, ALROSA completed interim studies that confirmed the high ability of kimberlite ore in the process of its beneficiation and storage to absorb and retain carbon dioxide contained in atmospheric air and water.
“If we scale the research results to all ALROSA sites where this property has been studied, we can calculate that the potential of CO2 absorption from the atmosphere exceeds the annual emission of CO2 equivalent of the entire ALROSA Group 1.5 times,” Mr Marinychev said.
The next step, according to the Head of ALROSA, would be research and development of technology that enhances the absorption capacity of kimberlite, which will allow the company to achieve an even greater effect.
“Despite the fact that diamond mining accounts for only a small part of CO2 emissions compared to other mining enterprises, the development of such technology may be important for counteracting climate change,” he said.
He said “As part of the development of cooperation and exchange of experience between ALROSA and African countries, I believe it is important to invite scientists and industry specialists to participate in the expert group of the project to study the absorption capacity of kimberlite. We will also be happy to assist in conducting similar studies at diamond deposits in African countries.”
BY TIMES REPORTER
