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European potential for geological storage of co2 from fossil fuel combustion ('GESTCO')

Objective

Objectives and problems to be solved: The EU Kyoto objective imply a reduction of 8% (relative to 1990) of the greenhouse gas emissions, corresponding to ±600 million tonnes per year of CO2 between 2008 - 2012. Power generation is the largest individual sector contribution approximately one third of the CO2 emissions. Nearly all fossil fuel power generation occurs at major facilities, facilitating CO2 capture and sequestration. Total EU (+Norway) emissions of CO2 from thermal power generation were some 950 million tonnes in 1990. The principal objective of GESTCO is to make a major contribution to the reduction in CO2 emissions to the atmosphere and so ensuring Europe a continued stable supply of affordable and environmentally acceptable energy. A solution will thus be sought to the problem: Is geological storage of CO2 a viable method capable of wide-scale application? The GESTCO project intends to provide the first documentation that, for emission sources within selected key areas, sufficient geological storage capacity is available. Cost of energy will obviously increase, but it is anticipated that it be comparable to that of renewable. Description of the work: The project will study the distribution and coincidence of thermal CO2 emission sources and location/quality of geological storage capacity. The study will be thematic in nature and will investigate the storage potential of four main storage types in selected areas, using these as representative settings which, at a future time, could provide the backbone of an atlas of European geological storage capacity:
1. Onshore/offshore saline aquifers with or without lateral seal.
2. Low enthalpy geothermal reservoirs.
3. Deep methane bearing coal beds, and abandoned coal and salt mines.
4. Exhausted or near exhausted hydrocarbon structures. Public/political acceptance is considered to be a prerequisite for further development of the concept into a marketable commodity and a public hearing will be held. Expected Results and Exploitation Plans: The results of the project will encompass evaluation of the underground storage potential in the representative areas combined with inventories of power plant (and major industrial) point sources of CO2 emission. Through a number of realistic scenarios, cost of CO2 storage will be calculated (per tonne of CO2 & as electricity cost increase) and be compared to other energy sources. A dedicated decision support system will be developed, enabling 'emission source - storage' scenarios to be planned and cost evaluated. This facility will be made publicly available on the internet. Result of the public hearing will also be made available to interested parties. The project has been designed to provides the rationale for and scientific documentation of a concept for CO2 subsurface storage. Results of the study will thus be aimed at the following user groups:· Policy makers (UN, EU, national level) for setting emission prices and accepting the concept as greenhouse gas sink.· Power companies facing emission level regulations.· Potential storage operators and providers of goods and services, looking for new markets for advanced products.

Call for proposal

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Coordinator

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF DENMARK AND GREENLAND
EU contribution
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Address
8,Oester Voldgade 10
2400 KOEPENHAGEN
Denmark

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Total cost
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Participants (10)