Final Report Summary - CO2GEONET (Network of Excellence on Geological Sequestration of CO2)
The CO2GEONET contained a critical mass of research activity in the area of underground geological carbon dioxide (CO2) storage of CO2 captured from large stationary sources such as power plants, cement works, metal smelting, oil and gas production, petrochemical refining and hydrogen production. The whole chain process is known as carbon capture & storage (CCS). Effective geological storage of CO2 is the most crucial part of the CCS chain as significant leakage from storage would undermine the whole point of investing in CO2 capture as a greenhouse gas mitigation technology.
CO2GEONET had several objectives over the five-year period of EC funding, explained below.
- To form a durable and complimentary partnership comprising of a critical mass of key European research centres whose expertise and capability becomes increasingly mutually interdependent. The initial partnership was between 13 institutes, most of whom have a long and established history of research in geological storage. Some new players are also included, either because they are expected to have significant national strategic profile in future CO2 storage projects, or have capabilities which can be realigned to strengthen the Network, or even bring uniqueness. For the first time in an EC Framework project, marine and aquatic biologists are drawn into this research topic.
- To maintain and build upon the momentum and world lead that Europe has on geological CO2 storage and project that lead into the international arena.
- To improve efficiency through realignment of national research programmes, prevention of duplication of research effort, sharing of existing and newly acquired infrastructure and IPR.
- To identify knowledge gaps and formulate new research projects and tools to fill these gaps.
- To seek external funding from national and industrial programmes in order to diversify, build and strengthen the portfolio of shared research activities.
- To provide the authoritative body for technical, impartial, high-quality information on geological storage of CO2, and in so doing enable public confidence in the technology, participate in policy, regulatory formulation and common standards.
- To provide training to strengthen the partners, bring in new network members and sustain a replacement supply of researchers for the future.
- To exploit network IPR, both as a revenue earner to sustain the network and to equip European industry to be competitive in the emerging global low carbon energy markets.
The project was spread into five years, featuring work on integrating activities, jointly executed research and spreading of excellence activities, including dissemination of knowledge and training programmes.
-Year 1: Required the setting up of the network governance and management operations. Joint research workshops were held and proved very valuable events where the broader research community in the network were able to give input to the network direction and organisation and build linkages/alliances with colleagues from partner institutes. The inventorising of research infrastructures in the network was a very tedious, but necessary exercise in order to develop further network integration and staff development.
Having the website set up early, with a secure area for uploading and downloading shared files was a major bonus in achieving joint working and information sharing between our disparate research centres. Since this is a research network, it became clear that an early way to achieve integration was from 'bottom up'- i.e. getting the researchers to propose projects on which to work together.
-Year 2: Large scale research infrastructure was mobilised and shared, such as aircraft and marine facilities for use in airborne CO2 monitoring. The network made its first modest purchase of new analytical and sampling equipment for use by the network partners in the field. The network's first joint design, build and deployment of equipment (marine buoy adapted for sea- bed gas sampling at a submarine gas seep) was also made.
The network partner's own financial contributions toward the network budget doubled in order to facilitate the joint programme of activities. The network began setting up new and further developed previously known field sites as full scale European field laboratories with a particular emphasis on understanding CO2 leakage processes, CO2 monitoring and ecosystem responses to geologically sourced CO2. Involvement of post-graduates in the joint research activities began and the PhD programme funded by the network was initiated.
The network provided unique emphasis on CO2 leakage, surface and shallow subsurface monitoring and ecosystem responses to geologically sourced CO2. This included marine, freshwater and terrestrial settings, and, for the first time, human populations who live in proximity to natural CO2 seeps in Italy; with a particular reference to their attitudes to CO2 storage. Within the network research teams with different disciplines but a common focus began to emerge, drawn from across the partners.
There were successful airborne campaigns for remote sensing made over Latera CO2 Field Laboratory, Italy. Testing, comparison and intercalibration of different CO2 monitoring techniques at natural CO2 leakage sites was also undertaken. Marine experiments on CO2 exposure effects on N. Sea benthic organisms and seabed sediments were conducted in the laboratory and in the field.
Collaboration with RITE (Japan) was an essential part of this programme, through the field deployment of RITEs benthic lander chamber in Norway. Collaborative research began with various international projects/organisiations including Weyburn (Canada) and InSalah (Algeria) and the Russian Academy of Sciences, focussing around surface/shallow subsurface monitoring and CO2 storage integrity. Testing and simulation of synthetic tracers for use in monitoring CO2 breakthrough after subsurface injection also began.
Various geomechanical and engineering related activities were conducted ranging from characterising regional reservoir seals to enhanced coal bed methane operations. New codes for conducting numerical simulations of CO2 plume behaviour started to be developed.
-Year 3: Some rationalisation of partners' infrastructure relevant to CO2GeoNet was achieved. The joint field studies provided exchange of competences and know-how among the partners and between senior researchers and young researchers and students. The first round of JRAPs terminated during Year 3, while five new ones started. These new JRAPs combined the topics and research teams from several previous ones, hence increasing the critical mass of researchers (some 150), while facilitating the transfer of knowledge between partners and research topics. This proved very efficient for the integration of the research teams through the JRAPs.
In terms of communication and information, the main achievement was the creation of the Seismic database Network Access Point (SNAP) allowing sharing and processing, through the Internet, of seismic data from the NoE's consortium. SNAP makes use of GRID-like network. The main development has a generic character enabling extension to other types of data and processing tools to be shared among CO2GeoNet. Integration was also pursued through the staff development programme.
The network had now engaged itself in a large range of activities covering a broad spectrum of CO2 geological storage research including: reservoir performance, well-bore and cap rock integrity, potential leakage pathways up to the surface, potential environmental impacts in terrestrial and marine settings, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) through CO2 storage. The network had developed in particular a unique world-class expertise on CO2 leakage and environmental impacts through the study of natural CO2 seepage areas in terrestrial systems (Latera and Ciampino in Italy), lacustrine systems (Laarcher See in Germany) and marine systems (Gulf of Trieste and Panarea in Italy).
-Year 4: A number of infrastructure limitations were identified through JRAP activities, and these formed the basis of a proposal for the acquisition of new infrastructures by the NoE. During Year 4, it was decided to build a Benthic Chamber (used on loan during JRAP 8) as a unique piece of infrastructure, which would greatly benefit the NoE, as well as the wider European research community.
Three proposals were submitted to research calls by the entire NoE consortium in the course of year four. Two were submitted to the European Science Foundation, for supporting, among other, international workshops and exchange of scientists. The third was submitted to the EC Seventh Framework Research Infrastructure programme. The ESF bid was successful.
Most of the work for the technical and experimental work of the first wave of JRAPs was completed in spite of delays caused by technical failures, necessary modifications of experiments, sample availability and delays in external projects upon which are JRAPs relied. As a result some of the reporting of results was still outstanding and had to put in the work plan for Year 5.
JRAP 15 started pore and core scale experiments. Several separate JRAP workshops and field campaigns were carried out. JRAP 18, continued working on the natural CO2 seeps at Panarea, the Gulf of Trieste and around the Laacher See. Monitoring devices developed and tested in CO2GeoNet, as well as from other national and EC funded projects, were tested at natural CO2 seep sites.
-Year 5: Joint research infrastructure component, the 'benthic chamber lander' was designed and construction began in June 2008. There was further consolidation of other jointly developed research infrastructure. The SNAP program for multi-lateral use of the joint seismic record database was improved and completed. Four PhDs, linked to various JRAPs were successfully defended by the students involved. In Year 5 there were 11 ongoing PhD studies, including 3 funded directly by CO2GeoNet. Two continuing professional development courses were given during Year 5. Staff exchange between seven CO2GeoNet partners involved nine junior and senior scientists for durations of three days to three months. Six JRAPs (JRAP 14-19) were completed and a new JRAP was launched and will continue beyond the end of the EC contract, under the umbrella of the CO2GeoNet Association.
Several staff members spent time working at partners' institutes, exchanging knowledge, working on JRAPs, preparing publications and further research collaboration. A new JRAP 'Benthic experiments for marine monitoring and ecosystems impact assessment' was launched to prepare experiments for marine monitoring and biological impact studies. Final research results were presented and discussed at the Full Workshop in Delft, in November 2008 and in the Annual Stakeholder Forum in Venice (March 2009).
A work plan, extending beyond the period of the EC grant, including joint research activities arising from the alignment of partners own research resources was agreed. In order to establish new links to external research bodies, a collaboration agreement between CO2GeoNet and the IEA Greenhouse Gas Research and Development Programme was signed.
CO2GEONET had several objectives over the five-year period of EC funding, explained below.
- To form a durable and complimentary partnership comprising of a critical mass of key European research centres whose expertise and capability becomes increasingly mutually interdependent. The initial partnership was between 13 institutes, most of whom have a long and established history of research in geological storage. Some new players are also included, either because they are expected to have significant national strategic profile in future CO2 storage projects, or have capabilities which can be realigned to strengthen the Network, or even bring uniqueness. For the first time in an EC Framework project, marine and aquatic biologists are drawn into this research topic.
- To maintain and build upon the momentum and world lead that Europe has on geological CO2 storage and project that lead into the international arena.
- To improve efficiency through realignment of national research programmes, prevention of duplication of research effort, sharing of existing and newly acquired infrastructure and IPR.
- To identify knowledge gaps and formulate new research projects and tools to fill these gaps.
- To seek external funding from national and industrial programmes in order to diversify, build and strengthen the portfolio of shared research activities.
- To provide the authoritative body for technical, impartial, high-quality information on geological storage of CO2, and in so doing enable public confidence in the technology, participate in policy, regulatory formulation and common standards.
- To provide training to strengthen the partners, bring in new network members and sustain a replacement supply of researchers for the future.
- To exploit network IPR, both as a revenue earner to sustain the network and to equip European industry to be competitive in the emerging global low carbon energy markets.
The project was spread into five years, featuring work on integrating activities, jointly executed research and spreading of excellence activities, including dissemination of knowledge and training programmes.
-Year 1: Required the setting up of the network governance and management operations. Joint research workshops were held and proved very valuable events where the broader research community in the network were able to give input to the network direction and organisation and build linkages/alliances with colleagues from partner institutes. The inventorising of research infrastructures in the network was a very tedious, but necessary exercise in order to develop further network integration and staff development.
Having the website set up early, with a secure area for uploading and downloading shared files was a major bonus in achieving joint working and information sharing between our disparate research centres. Since this is a research network, it became clear that an early way to achieve integration was from 'bottom up'- i.e. getting the researchers to propose projects on which to work together.
-Year 2: Large scale research infrastructure was mobilised and shared, such as aircraft and marine facilities for use in airborne CO2 monitoring. The network made its first modest purchase of new analytical and sampling equipment for use by the network partners in the field. The network's first joint design, build and deployment of equipment (marine buoy adapted for sea- bed gas sampling at a submarine gas seep) was also made.
The network partner's own financial contributions toward the network budget doubled in order to facilitate the joint programme of activities. The network began setting up new and further developed previously known field sites as full scale European field laboratories with a particular emphasis on understanding CO2 leakage processes, CO2 monitoring and ecosystem responses to geologically sourced CO2. Involvement of post-graduates in the joint research activities began and the PhD programme funded by the network was initiated.
The network provided unique emphasis on CO2 leakage, surface and shallow subsurface monitoring and ecosystem responses to geologically sourced CO2. This included marine, freshwater and terrestrial settings, and, for the first time, human populations who live in proximity to natural CO2 seeps in Italy; with a particular reference to their attitudes to CO2 storage. Within the network research teams with different disciplines but a common focus began to emerge, drawn from across the partners.
There were successful airborne campaigns for remote sensing made over Latera CO2 Field Laboratory, Italy. Testing, comparison and intercalibration of different CO2 monitoring techniques at natural CO2 leakage sites was also undertaken. Marine experiments on CO2 exposure effects on N. Sea benthic organisms and seabed sediments were conducted in the laboratory and in the field.
Collaboration with RITE (Japan) was an essential part of this programme, through the field deployment of RITEs benthic lander chamber in Norway. Collaborative research began with various international projects/organisiations including Weyburn (Canada) and InSalah (Algeria) and the Russian Academy of Sciences, focussing around surface/shallow subsurface monitoring and CO2 storage integrity. Testing and simulation of synthetic tracers for use in monitoring CO2 breakthrough after subsurface injection also began.
Various geomechanical and engineering related activities were conducted ranging from characterising regional reservoir seals to enhanced coal bed methane operations. New codes for conducting numerical simulations of CO2 plume behaviour started to be developed.
-Year 3: Some rationalisation of partners' infrastructure relevant to CO2GeoNet was achieved. The joint field studies provided exchange of competences and know-how among the partners and between senior researchers and young researchers and students. The first round of JRAPs terminated during Year 3, while five new ones started. These new JRAPs combined the topics and research teams from several previous ones, hence increasing the critical mass of researchers (some 150), while facilitating the transfer of knowledge between partners and research topics. This proved very efficient for the integration of the research teams through the JRAPs.
In terms of communication and information, the main achievement was the creation of the Seismic database Network Access Point (SNAP) allowing sharing and processing, through the Internet, of seismic data from the NoE's consortium. SNAP makes use of GRID-like network. The main development has a generic character enabling extension to other types of data and processing tools to be shared among CO2GeoNet. Integration was also pursued through the staff development programme.
The network had now engaged itself in a large range of activities covering a broad spectrum of CO2 geological storage research including: reservoir performance, well-bore and cap rock integrity, potential leakage pathways up to the surface, potential environmental impacts in terrestrial and marine settings, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) through CO2 storage. The network had developed in particular a unique world-class expertise on CO2 leakage and environmental impacts through the study of natural CO2 seepage areas in terrestrial systems (Latera and Ciampino in Italy), lacustrine systems (Laarcher See in Germany) and marine systems (Gulf of Trieste and Panarea in Italy).
-Year 4: A number of infrastructure limitations were identified through JRAP activities, and these formed the basis of a proposal for the acquisition of new infrastructures by the NoE. During Year 4, it was decided to build a Benthic Chamber (used on loan during JRAP 8) as a unique piece of infrastructure, which would greatly benefit the NoE, as well as the wider European research community.
Three proposals were submitted to research calls by the entire NoE consortium in the course of year four. Two were submitted to the European Science Foundation, for supporting, among other, international workshops and exchange of scientists. The third was submitted to the EC Seventh Framework Research Infrastructure programme. The ESF bid was successful.
Most of the work for the technical and experimental work of the first wave of JRAPs was completed in spite of delays caused by technical failures, necessary modifications of experiments, sample availability and delays in external projects upon which are JRAPs relied. As a result some of the reporting of results was still outstanding and had to put in the work plan for Year 5.
JRAP 15 started pore and core scale experiments. Several separate JRAP workshops and field campaigns were carried out. JRAP 18, continued working on the natural CO2 seeps at Panarea, the Gulf of Trieste and around the Laacher See. Monitoring devices developed and tested in CO2GeoNet, as well as from other national and EC funded projects, were tested at natural CO2 seep sites.
-Year 5: Joint research infrastructure component, the 'benthic chamber lander' was designed and construction began in June 2008. There was further consolidation of other jointly developed research infrastructure. The SNAP program for multi-lateral use of the joint seismic record database was improved and completed. Four PhDs, linked to various JRAPs were successfully defended by the students involved. In Year 5 there were 11 ongoing PhD studies, including 3 funded directly by CO2GeoNet. Two continuing professional development courses were given during Year 5. Staff exchange between seven CO2GeoNet partners involved nine junior and senior scientists for durations of three days to three months. Six JRAPs (JRAP 14-19) were completed and a new JRAP was launched and will continue beyond the end of the EC contract, under the umbrella of the CO2GeoNet Association.
Several staff members spent time working at partners' institutes, exchanging knowledge, working on JRAPs, preparing publications and further research collaboration. A new JRAP 'Benthic experiments for marine monitoring and ecosystems impact assessment' was launched to prepare experiments for marine monitoring and biological impact studies. Final research results were presented and discussed at the Full Workshop in Delft, in November 2008 and in the Annual Stakeholder Forum in Venice (March 2009).
A work plan, extending beyond the period of the EC grant, including joint research activities arising from the alignment of partners own research resources was agreed. In order to establish new links to external research bodies, a collaboration agreement between CO2GeoNet and the IEA Greenhouse Gas Research and Development Programme was signed.
