SiteChar – A EU project dedicated to the characterisation of European CO2 storage sites
The three-year European SiteChar project (FP7), dedicated to set the criteria for characterisation of sites for geological storage of CO2, was launched in January 2011.
SiteChar will examine the whole site characterisation process integrating site characterisation, risk assessment and development of monitoring plans. The workflow will be tested at a range of onshore and offshore, saline aquifers and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, representative of various geological contexts and located across Europe. Detailed evaluation of site-specific techno-economic factors and injection strategies will be performed. Social site characterisation and public engagement activities will also be conducted. A key innovation will be the development of dry-run licence applications.
By advancing a portfolio of sites to a (near-) completed feasibility stage, developing a methodology for the preparation of license applications, incorporating all the technical and economic data, as well as societal aspects, SiteChar will provide a valuable tool for the roll- out of geological storage on an industrial scale in Europe.
Coordinated by IFP Energies nouvelles, SiteChar gathers another sixteen partners from research, industry, and consultancy sector, from ten EU countries: AGH, BGS, ECN, ENEL, GEUS, GFZ, IMPERIAL, OGS, PGNiG, SINTEF-PR, Statoil, TNO, UfU, UniRoma1-CERI, Vattenfall and the Scottish Government. SiteChar is also supported by Veolia Environnement.
Group photo at the 1st Kick-off meeting - Paris, January 2011