Spencer Whitman – Mining Pit Lake Restoration

With Aquarry, Spencer Whitman is transforming environmental liabilities into remediated, revenue-generating carbon sinks.

Spencer Whitman

Aquarry

Whitman is co-founder and chief technology officer of Aquarry, which captures atmospheric carbon dioxide and reduces water contamination in pit lakes by adding alkaline materials, resulting in the formation of carbon and metal-rich minerals that are securely stored in the pit lake.

During West Gate, Whitman is developing more robust life cycle accounting, creating coupled hydrodynamic and geochemical simulations, and conducting bench scale experimentation by leveraging NREL's analytical and high-performance computing expertise.

Post-mining pit lakes present environmental hazards for communities and ecosystems, as well as financial liabilities for mining companies. Mining companies are increasingly subject to strict regulations on environmental contamination and carbon emissions, and they need solutions that leverage existing assets and expertise.

Pit lake alkalinity enhancement addresses the dual challenges of climate change and environmental contamination by repurposing post-mining pit lakes for carbon capture and storage. This method provides a measurable, scalable, and environmentally beneficial solution to removing atmospheric carbon dioxide while improving water quality. With thousands of pit lakes globally, pit lake alkalinity enhancement has the potential to store gigatons of carbon and offers carbon buyers an alternative to traditional removal methods.

Aquarry is the only company using pit lakes for carbon dioxide removal, and pit lake alkalinity enhancement avoids negative impacts on sensitive ecosystems while improving measurability and addressing degraded water quality. By generating revenue through the sale of carbon credits, pit lake alkalinity enhancement provides a financial incentive for mining companies to remediate closed mines while leveraging existing infrastructure.

Status

Bench scale

Industry

Carbon dioxide removal and environmental remediation

Potential Markets

• Carbon dioxide removal
• Environmental remediation services
• Mining

Looking For

• Industry mentors
• Funding
• Strategic partnerships
• Customer identification
• Subject matter experts
• Employment referrals