Concept and objectives

The ECO2 project sets out to assess the risks associated with storage of CO2 below the seabed. Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) is regarded as a key technology for the reduction of CO2 emissions from power plants and other industrial sources at the European and international level. The EU will hence support a selected portfolio of demonstration projects to promote, at industrial scale, the implementation of CCS in Europe. Several of these projects aim to store CO2 below the seabed. However, little is known about the short-term and long-term impacts of CO2 storage on marine ecosystems even though CO2 has been stored sub-seabed in the North Sea (Sleipner) for over 14 years and for two year in the Barents Sea (Snøhvit). Against this background, the proposed ECO2 project will assess the likelihood of leakage and impact of leakage on marine ecosystems. State-of-the art monitoring techniques will be applied to detect and quantify the fluxes of formation fluids, natural gas, and CO2 from storage sites. A best practice guide will be developed for the management of sub-seabed CO2 storage sites considering the precautionary principle and costs of monitoring and remediation.

Objectives

  • To investigate the likelihood of leakage from sub-seabed storage sites
  • To study the potential effects of leakage on benthic organisms and marine ecosystems
  • To assess the risks of sub-seabed carbon dioxide storage
  • To develop a comprehensive monitoring strategy using cutting-edge monitoring techniques
  • To define guidelines for the best environmental practices in implementation and management of sub-seabed storage sites