Integration of CO₂ storage with local economic activities

Accelerating the development and deployment of CCS in Europe

CO₂ geological storage, especially onshore, is facing resistance by the general public and local communities in Europe. The importance, safety and effectiveness of storing CO₂ in the deep subsurface is being questioned. As a result, CO₂ storage projects and corresponding climate change mitigation, are being delayed and even cancelled.

The ENOS project addresses a number of possible economic benefits of CO₂ storage combined with the re-use of part of the CO₂ for commercial purposes and attempts to improve the sustainability of these economic activities.

For example, the large greenhouse industry in the Netherlands uses CO₂ to enhance the growth of their crops. ENOS will examine the potential of combining CCS with a scheme where a part of the CO₂, which is injected in the deep subsurface, is temporarily stored and then back-produced for use in the greenhouses. This provides a needed product of value plus a reduction in the overall release of CO₂ into the atmosphere.

Another possible use is to inject CO₂ in the underground to recover more oil. This method, which is called CO₂-enhanced oil recovery, has been employed for several decades, using mainly natural CO₂. If man-made CO₂ is used instead, it becomes a valuable product, while at the same time locking a significant proportion of that greenhouse gas in the oil field underground.

Combining storage and use of CO₂ could help reach both climate and economic objectives. The evaluation and development of the two applications (seasonal buffering and enhanced oil recovery) will focus on technical, economic and regulatory aspects. Developing these projects will contribute to the higher goal of demonstrating the application of CO₂ geological storage, thereby accelerating the development and deployment of CO₂ storage and thus CO₂ emission reduction in Europe.