ACHIEVE NET ZERO,
SAVE & EARN.

Achieve Net Zero through Ground Tests and Carbon Audits. Save by spreading Basalt. Earn by selling carbon offsets.

Key Collaborating Partners: 

INTRODUCTION: CLIMATE & BIODIVERSITY CRISES

In April 2019, the Welsh Government declared a climate emergency, recognising the urgent need to  address the threat of climate change.

The declaration highlighted the climate crisis represents a  serious and immediate threat to Wales health, economy, infrastructure, and natural environment,  and that urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of  climate change.

In 2021, the Senedd declared a nature emergency in response to the alarming decline of biodiversity  in Wales2. This declaration recognised the urgent need to address the threats posed to wildlife and  natural habitats by human activities, such as habitat loss, climate change, and pollution. 

The climate crisis represents one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with far-reaching  implications for ecosystems, economies, and human well-being. At its core, this crisis is fuelled by the excessive accumulation of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere, primarily from human  activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. These gases, including  carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, trap heat within the atmosphere, leading to global  warming and destabilizing the delicate balance of our planet's climate systems. The consequences of  unchecked climate change are already evident, manifested in rising temperatures, extreme weather  events, melting polar ice caps, and disruptions to agriculture and water supplies. Left unabated,  these trends threaten to exacerbate inequality, displace communities, and amplify geopolitical  tensions.

Other environmental challenges we are facing include air pollution, food scarcity, soil erosion, and  polluted rivers. The increase in air pollution is having a detrimental impact on public health,  ecosystems, and the global climate, necessitating concerted efforts to mitigate its adverse effects and safeguard the well-being of current and future generations. Likewise, our rivers and oceans are  experiencing escalating contamination from a plethora of pollutants, including chemicals,  phosphates, and plastics, among others. The food that we eat is now becoming more expensive to  grow. Farming practices, driven by the imperative to maximize yields on diminishing arable land, are  exacerbating pollution levels in the soil. As a result, soil erosion poses a significant threat, as it erodes the vital topsoil layer essential for food cultivation, compounded by the adverse effects of chemical  inputs that disrupt the intricate balance of natural ecosystems and undermine the crucial role of  microorganisms upon which we rely heavily. 

Given the urgency of the situation, it is imperative that we take immediate and decisive action to  mitigate the impacts of both the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis. The window of opportunity to  mitigate the worst impacts is rapidly closing, necessitating bold and concerted efforts on a global  scale. The Welsh Government has aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050,  aligning with international efforts to mitigate climate change and ensuring a resilient and sustainable  future for Wales and its citizens. Rapid decarbonisation of human society will be required to reach  Net Zero by 2050. This will involve transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. Additionally, implementing energy efficiency measures, investing in sustainable  transportation infrastructure, and promoting reforestation and conservation initiatives can further  contribute to mitigating emissions. 

While efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are essential, they alone may not be sufficient to  limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the primary goal of  the Paris Climate Agreement3. Negative emission technologies involve extracting carbon dioxide from

the atmosphere and storing it indefinitely. These technologies encompass a range of strategies,  including afforestation and reforestation, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), direct  air capture, and enhanced weathering. By harnessing the power of nature and innovative  engineering solutions, negative emission technologies have the potential to enhance the  effectiveness of climate mitigation efforts and bridge the gap between current emission reduction  trajectories and the targets set forth in the Paris Agreement.  

The longer we delay action on climate change, the greater the risks and costs will be. Investing in  emission reduction strategies and negative emission technologies now is not only morally imperative  but also economically prudent. The transition to a low-carbon economy presents opportunities for  innovation, job creation, and economic growth, while the costs of inaction—both in terms of  adaptation expenses and environmental damage—are likely to far outweigh the initial investments  required. 

Addressing the biodiversity crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not only a moral  imperative but also a practical necessity. By acting decisively and collectively, we can mitigate the  worst impacts of climate change, safeguarding our planet for current and future generations. The  time to act is now, and every effort we make to transition to a sustainable and low-carbon future  brings us closer to achieving a more resilient and equitable world. 

INTRODUCTION: ENHANCED WEATHERING

Enhanced weathering is a negative emission technology that involves speeding up the natural  process by which certain rocks, such as olivine or basalt, react with carbon dioxide in the  atmosphere, converting it into stable carbonate minerals.

This reaction removes carbon dioxide from  the atmosphere and stores it in the ocean. By scaling up this process through activities like spreading  finely ground rock particles over large areas, enhanced weathering has the potential to remove  significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate climate change. One  common method is to spread basalt dust on farmland. With 41.619 million acres of available  farmland in the UK4 the potential to capture, store and offset carbon is potentially huge. A recent  study by Sheffield University, has shown that adding rock dust to UK agricultural soils could absorb  up to 45 per cent of the atmospheric carbon dioxide needed to reach net zero5.  

There is potential beyond just agriculture, this approach can also be applied to companies that are  doing major groundworks, building sites, or important infrastructure highways or railway links that  after completion and reinstatement of the land, basalt dust could then be applied on this ground  which then would go towards the carbon offset of these projects, but also improve the stability of  the ground, reducing water runoff and producing a great habitat for wildlife, a lovely environment for local communities to enjoy.  

There are more benefits to enhanced weathering than just the carbon capture potential. Spreading  basalt also releases essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium into the soil, benefiting plant  growth6. Therefore, Basalt has the potential to be used as a conditioning fertilizer. This means it also  has the potential to increase food production at lower costs, in third World Countries that do not  produce man-made fertilizers, volcanic dust has been used for decades and has proved to aid the  growth of all plants7. Another great importance of basalt is the ability to improve the soil structure  on absorbing more water to help reduce flooding, basalt because of its trace elements, can help on  Farmland reduce the artificial input of man-made products (ref). This in turn will help with the  pollution in the water system and not producing more CO2 emissions from machinery admissions.

J & H Spreading and Agri Engineering Limited have been spreading agricultural products for past 20  years.

Over the last five years, we have been at the forefront of spreading basalt dust for both  feasibility trials and for our own customers benefits. We aim to be the leading company to provide  basalt spreading services to help businesses, companies and individuals achieve their net zero goals. 

We are an engineering firm, designing and building the specialised machinery for all sectors. We  have designed, developed, and built specialised spreaders that can handle the quantities needed to  be applied in a cost effective, low carbon way that does not damage the environment. 

We are extremely fortunate to have been working with basalt dust for many years and so have all the stakeholders and partners needed to complete the vital research and development needed make  basalt spreading on agriculture a viable commercial offering to Welsh and UK farmers.

Key Collaborating Partners: 

ACHIEVE NET ZERO.

BASALT SPREADING EXPERIMENT: METHODOLOGY

J & H Spreading and Agri Engineering Limited has conducted a 5-year enhanced weathering  experiment at Chapel House Farm, Hay Road, Builth, Wells, Powys LD2 3YR.

We spread 5 tonnes of  basalt per 1 acre of land per year. The test field is 3.5 acres, which was split in half for a treated area  and control area (where no basalt was spread. The control field was divided into two, with a 12 foot  wide road separating the two test plots, to stop cross contamination.  

The basalt dust was sourced locally from a granite quarry and was a 0 – 4 mil product. We chose to  spread 5 tonnes of basalt as we found this was the best balance between carbon sequestration and  soil health. Additionally, we have worked out that this only takes 3.5 kilograms of carbon per ton to  produce, which is a lot lower than 12.40 kilograms of carbon quoted in life cycle analysis carried out,

by The Future Forest Company report8. We ensure that the basalt dust used was fresh off the  production line to make sure that the product was non weathered for maximum SI02 element and  that there was the full availability of nutrients.  

The basalt was spread using an agricultural New Holland tractor T 6040, and an agricultural lime  spreader which was built by J & H Spreading, to maximize accuracy with on board GPS and mapping.  This was used to get the spreading width to 15 meters, which is vitally important to cut carbon whilst spreading but also maximize carbon offset sales. 

After 5 years, we collected soil samples from both the test field and the control field and sent them  to Cobb Agri for chemical analysis. All soil sampling and testing was compliant with the government  guidelines and recommendations to protect the environment.

We tested for: soil pH, trace metal content, soil respiration, microbial biomass and carbon stock.  

Basalt was additionally spread over an area of 20 acres, using the same methodology, to test if the  results differ when the same process is scaled up.

BASALT SPREADING EXPERIMENT: RESULTS

The graphs below show the difference between the control field (non-treated) and the test field  (basalt treated). The chemical analysis shows that the total carbon stock of the basalt treated field  was 25% higher than the non-treated field.

The total carbon stock of the basalt treated field was 59.5 tonnes/ha whereas the non-treated field total carbon stock was only 47.5 tonnes/ha. Further, when  treated with basalt, pH level increased by 1 pH level and active carbon increased by 9%. There was  also an increase in phosphorous, potassium, sulphate and calcium in the basalt treated field. Finally, the basalt treated field had higher levels of microbial activity (187% increase) and higher soil respiration  (192% increase). 

Figure 1. Results of the soil analysis from test (basalt treated) and control (non-treated) fields. The analysis from the 20 acre field show the same results as above. 

BASALT SPREADING EXPERIMENT: WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT TELL US

The increase in active carbon and total carbon stock in the soil shows the potential to store carbon in the soil and act as a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide, a big contributor to anthropogenic caused climate change.

These results show that when 5 tonnes of basalt dust is applied per 1 acre of land,  there’s the potential to absorb between 10/12 metric ton of carbon per 1 acre per year. 

Active carbon is a food source to the microbial population. The increase in microbial biomass (an  increase in the living component of soil organic matter) and mineralisation potential is vital to maintain biological fertility. The higher active carbon and microbial activity maintains a good level of  carbon cycling and a healthy soil biota population that is essential to a structural farming functions. 

The increase in phosphorous, potassium and sulphate show that these nutrients can be increased  without the use of artificial fertilisers. Alongside the increase in nutrient concentration in the soil, the increase in pH means there will be a better crop uptake of nutrients. This is because soil pH impacts  the solubility of nutrients. In acidic soils (low pH), nutrients like phosphorous, calcium, magnesium,  and molybdenum become less available9. Therefore, these results suggest that as well as increasing  the carbon uptake, spreading basalt can also act as a long lasting, effective conditioning fertiliser.  

The increase in soil pH can also have a positive impact on soil microbial activity. Acidic soils often  reduce the diversity and activity of soil microorganisms. Many microbial species are sensitive to low  pH levels and may struggle to thrive or even survive in acidic conditions. Therefore, the increase in  pH (more alkaline) of the basalt treated soil is likely the cause of the higher microbial biomass and  higher respiration rates of the basalt treated soil compared to the non-treated soil. These  microorganisms are fundamental for maintaining soil health and fertility, promoting sustainable crop  production, and ensuring food security.  

BASALT SPREADING EXPERIMENT: ENHANCED WEATHERING CARBON OFFSETTING POTENTIAL AND OTHER BENEFITS

The results from this experiment clearly demonstrates that enhanced weathering on farmland acts as an efficient carbon removal approach.

The silicate minerals in the basalt react with CO2 and water to  form carbonate minerals, locking away carbon in stable mineral forms. This process effectively  removes and stores carbon, helping to mitigate climate change by reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. 

These results also show that enhanced weathering creates additional multiple benefits for farmland  and the agriculture sector: 

The basalt contains essential nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium,  which are released as the basalt weathers.

These nutrients can replenish soil fertility,  providing important elements for plant growth and enhancing crop productivity.  Additionally, the breakdown of silicate minerals can increase soil pH, which is beneficial  for certain crops that prefer slightly alkaline conditions. 

The silicate minerals in basalt can enhance soil structure and aggregation, leading to  improved water retention and infiltration. This can help mitigate the effects of drought  by increasing the water-holding capacity of soils, making farmland more resilient to dry  conditions and reducing irrigation requirements. 

In regions where soils are overly acidic due to factors such as acid rain or excessive use of acidic fertilizers, enhanced weathering can help neutralize soil acidity by raising pH  levels.

This can improve soil health and create more favourable conditions for crop  growth, as many plants prefer neutral to slightly acidic soils. 

Enhanced weathering can contribute to the promotion of soil biodiversity by providing a  more favourable environment for soil microbes and other organisms. Healthy soil  ecosystems support diverse communities of organisms, including beneficial microbes  that contribute to nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and overall soil health.

By replenishing soil nutrients naturally through weathering processes, farmers may be  able to reduce their reliance on synthetic fertilizers.

This can lead to cost savings for  farmers and reduce the environmental impacts associated with fertilizer production,  transport, and application, including nutrient runoff and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Unlike some agricultural practices that rely on inputs like fertilizers and pesticides,  enhanced weathering operates through natural geological processes and does not  require ongoing inputs once implemented. As such, it offers the potential for long-term  sustainability and resilience in agricultural systems. 

Additionally, unlike other negative emission technologies, enhanced weathering doesn’t compete for land used to grow food or increase the demand for freshwater. Many arable farms already apply  crushed rock in the form of limestone to reverse acidification of soils caused by farming practices,  such as the use of fertilisers10.

Alongside this, Enhanced Weathering is likely to increase the  profitability of farms by increasing soil fertility, reducing fertilizer use, improving water retention, and increasing microbial activity. Therefore, there are fewer barriers to the take up of enhanced  weathering in the agricultural sector compared to other carbon reduction technologies. 

SAVE.

J and H Spreading and Agri Engineering Limited and key collaborating partners propose the following  7-year plan of what applying basalt would look like for Welsh farmers looking to offset their own  emissions and create additional income by selling carbon credits.

BASALT SPREADING EXPERIMENT: FUTURE OF ENHANCED WEATHERING IN THE WELSH AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

YEAR

  1. Initial  basalt  spreading

  1. Soil tested for organic carbon  and trace metal content to  

    provide a baseline  measurement to refer future  measurements to.

  2. The farm/business where the  basalt will be spread needs to  conduct a carbon audit to  calculate their annual carbon  emissions and to develop a  carbon reduction plan to go  alongside the future carbon  

    offsetting.  

  3. Basalt is spread at 5 tonne per  acre

ACTIONS

  • Cobb Agri

  • J and H Spreading and  AGRI Engineering  Limited

  • Hansons  Quarries

COLLABORATING PARTNERS

However, it is essential to approach the deployment of this type of technology with caution,  considering factors such as environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic feasibility.  Potential challenges of enhanced weathering include the carbon intensive nature and ecological  impact of mining, grinding and spreading rocks on a large-scale.

One life cycle analysis estimates that  We will also need to better understand the economic and carbon costs involved with the above plan.  J & H Spreading and Agri Engineering Limited will work closely with Hanson Quarries to explore how  the mining process and the haulage of basalt dust can be carried out in a cost-efficient manner with  minimal CO2 produced.

Current cost estimates of enhanced weathering techniques are uncertain and vary widely. The costs of spreading the basalt will likely be covered by the selling of carbon credits.  The costs associated with this experiment were £25 per tonne of basalt so £125 for 5 acres. This  experiment has shown there is the potential carbon capture of 10 tonnes of CO2 per acre. Therefore,  with a carbon offsetting cost of £30 per metric tonne of CO2 captured, there is the potential to make  £300 per acre. We believe this would cover the initial cost of spreading, the yearly soil sampling and  carbon audit which allows customers a guaranteed yearly income. However further work is still  needed to better understand what the costs and carbon emissions will be when this process is scaled up and how the carbon offsetting will work. Further work is also needed to explore the enhanced  weathering potential beyond agriculture, for example in the construction sector. Therefore, the next  step is to work with our collaborating partners to continue research and development into enhanced  weathering to fully assess the above 7-year plan’s feasibility, effectiveness, and potential unintended  consequences in different contexts. 

EARN.

CONCLUSIONS: J & H SPREADING

J & H Spreading and Agri Engineering Limited has conducted a 5-year enhanced weathering  experiment that shows that spreading basalt on agricultural land has the potential to increase carbon capture potential of soil.

Our results show that when 5 tonnes of basalt dust is applied per 1 acre of  land, 10-12 metric tonnes of carbon can be captured per acre per year. Our experiment also showed  enhanced weather offers multiple other benefits for farmland including soil fertility improvement,  acidification mitigation, reduced fertilizer use, improved water retention, biodiversity support, and  long-term sustainability.

Following on from the success of this experiment, J & H Spreading and Agri  Engineering Limited has developed a 7-year plan for basalt application onto farmland. J & H  Spreading and Agri Engineering Limited and key collaborating will continue to build on the success  from this study to further assess the feasibility and effectiveness of enhanced weathering. The  positive results from this experiment show that enhanced weathering is likely to be a great option for Welsh farmers looking to offset their own emissions whilst creating additional income by selling  carbon credits. 

CONCLUSIONS: REFERENCES

1. Welsh Government makes climate emergency declaration | GOV.WALES 

2. The Nature Emergency: Climate Change - Climate Action Wales (gov.wales)

3. The Paris Agreement | UNFCCC 

4. Agriculture in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia 

5. Managing UK agriculture with rock dust could absorb up to 45 per cent of the atmospheric  carbon dioxide needed for net-zero, research shows | News | The University of Sheffield

6. Potential of basalt dust to improve soil fertility and crop nutrition - ScienceDirect

7. Applying volcanic ash to croplands – The untapped natural solution - ScienceDirect

8. Enhanced weathering of basalt rock as a method of atmospheric CO2 removal  (publishing.service.gov.uk) 

9. Soil pH and the Availability of Plant Nutrients | Nutrient Stewardship

10. Guest post: How ‘enhanced weathering’ could slow climate change and boost crop yields -  Carbon Brief