Exploring for CCS

CCS has been identified as a key element for limiting global warming. The adoption of the EU Green Deal and other European regulation have made carbon capture and storage technologies an important part of the EU decarbonisation effort.

The technology has been established in a different contexts, but CCS is not yet a routine industry application and it requires upscaling, if subsurface storing of the hard-to-abate emissions and later on Carbon dioxide from DAC and BE are to make a difference in the emerging climate crisis.

Several studies assessing storage potential in Europe have been conducted identifying large potential storage volumes, while the decision-making process regarding the application of CCS is still ongoing in many countries.

Regardless of the outcome, for CCS to become a valid option in 2030, exploration has to start now, as thorough exploration and compiling nationwide portfolio of potential sites will take several years.

In this presentation, a possible route through the site development process is delinated, covering all aspects of safe and permanent CO2 injection from exploration execution to field development. Risk assessment and mitigation play a crucial role in this framework. In addition, project-specific parameters like reservoir parameters, drill sites and well paths and in addition to absolute storage volume, the storage capacity over time are discussed, providing key input for a comprehensive analysis leading to a balanced portfolio.

A systematic assessment of potential sites is the basis for selecting the optimal locations, constructing efficiently dimensioned plants and establishing a process of maximum safety.