Underground storage of CO2 - page 3
What are the possibilities in Belgium?
Neither oil wells nor gas fields are present in Belgium, and so we do not possess any depleted fields that we could use as storage reservoirs. Nevertheless, the Belgian subsoil, and more precisely this of the Campine region, offers other storage possibilities. Studies have shown that rocks such as chalk, sandstone, limestone and dolomite are potential geological reservoirs. These studies have also revealed the existence of several superposed aquifers. Moreover, the Campine's subsoil still contains about 39 thousand billion tons of coal. If we add the extraction of methane from coal layers, the total storage capacity reaches 432 million tons of CO2.
Moreover, abandoned coalmines in Limburg form a wide network that stretches over at least 1000 km. 12.5 million tons of CO2 can be stored in it, not counting the surrounding coal layers!
Is CO2 storage the solution?
CO2 underground or ocean storage can be an effective way of reducing the greenhouse effect. The carbon dioxide produced by big industries would not be rejected in the atmosphere anymore, but captured straight away and injected. The technique of the CO2 capture, transport and storage, already tested out for oil drilling and gas extraction, is not in its infancy anymore. This gives confidence about the safety and reliability of this process.
However, we will have to show a little patience before implementing this process. First we have to have certain knowledge about each aspect of it. Potential reservoirs have to be closely examined to know whether they can actually be used, in order to be able to control risk factors such as earthquakes, chemical reactions,… CO2 storage is an effective solution only if CO2 is locked in its reservoir for thousands of years. Of course, the price tag must stay as low as possible and industries as well as people have to be sure that CO2 storage doesn't involve any risk.
In the future, the Campine's subsoil could obviously be used for CO2 storage in Belgium. However, it is hard to assess the total storage capacities in this area with precision, and to get a clear picture of this, further researches concerning the properties of geological reservoirs, closing layers and the amount of CO2 that can be stored will be needed.
Read more about the GESTCO project (Geological storage of CO2) in which the Belgian Geological Service researches the possibilities of underground storage of CO2 in the future.
