Government opens the way to geological carbon storage

The French government launched a call for projects in early summer to study France's subsoil and identify sites that could host geological carbon storage. The call for projects has a budget of 20 to 30 million euros. Geological storage of CO2 could contribute to France's 2050 carbon neutrality target. Once stored, CO2 can either remain in its supercritical form or be dissolved in groundwater not intended for consumption, such as brine. In dissolved form the gas is more stable but requires more space than in its supercritical state. Geological carbon storage is already established in the North Sea. The aim is to develop sites on French territory in order to reduce CO2 storage and transport costs. ADEME considers CO2 storage relevant for dealing with residual heavy-industry emissions but says it must remain a decarbonisation lever of last resort.