In June 2013, the Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP) published a report, “Accelerating the demonstration of CO2 geological storage in Europe – the case for up to six new storage pilots”. This highlighted the need to establish a portfolio of large CO2 storage pilots by 2016 in order to complement CCS demonstration projects, accelerate state-of-the-art technology and increase public confidence in CO2 storage.
The report proposes criteria for such projects, as well as defining R&D deliverables. Although CO2 Geological Storage (CGS) is well advanced from a technological point of view, research based on real field sites is now strongly needed in order to maximize the efficiency of these technologies, to optimize the tools needed for monitoring and verification, and to be able to adapt to the specificity of local geological conditions.
In this context, a new report, “Opportunities for CO2 storage pilot projects across Europe”, published in the framework of the Pan-European Coordination Action on CO2 Geological Storage (FP7 CGS Europe project), provides an overview of the many potential pilot projects across Europe. All CGS Europe partners considered the potential for pilot projects in their home countries or surrounding regions, producing a report with Pan European coverage that may lead to new pilot projects. Overall, 22 potential pilot projects in 15 European countries are presented for consideration in this report.
The report was generated based on questionnaires completed by the CGS Europe project partners. This report provides not only the raw material of completed questionnaires, but also an analysis of the information provided and the potentiality of the proposals. Although currently most pilots presented are still in the early proposal stage, here the report takes stock of the wide range of scientific achievements that could be gained if some of the projects become a reality in the near future.
This report is a very valuable information source for the current debate on the future CO2 Capture and Storage in Europe. The CO2GeoNet Association, the European network of excellence on CO2 geological storage, in close connection with the CGS Europe FP7 project, here expresses the views of a pan-European consortium involving 34 research institutes from 24 EU Member States and 4 Associated Countries. As such, representing the European scientific community on CO2 Geological Storage (CGS), CO2GeoNet and CGS Europe wish to share their expert input for the debate on taking CCS forward in Europe.