Objectives and Project Structure

The GEOSTOR project explores whether and how carbon dioxide (CO₂) can be safely stored beneath the seabed at a multi-million-ton scale while maintaining high environmental standards.

In its second phase, the project focuses on four key objectives:

• Preparing a potential industrial-scale CO₂ storage project in Study Area A

• Investigating and assessing site-specific environmental risks

• Developing technologies and strategies to monitor a future CO₂ storage site

• Ensuring comprehensive knowledge transfer between science, policy, and practice

To achieve these goals, the work is structured into three scientific subprojects (TP1–3), supported by a fourth subproject (TP4), which is responsible for project coordination and knowledge transfer.

TP1: Baseline Study

• Investigation of biodiversity and functional diversity of benthic endofauna and epifauna communities in Study Area A (geographical distribution, seasonal variability, Red List and invasive species)

• Investigation of natural and induced seismicity in the German Bight (frequency, focal mechanisms and magnitudes, temporal and source characteristics of earthquakes)

• Recording of natural microseismicity in Study Area A (sensor deployment and testing)

• Investigation of potential releases of natural gas and formation water at the seafloor in Study Area A (legacy wells, fault zones)

• Development of a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) for Study Area A

TP2: Investigation and Assessment of Environmental Risks

• Characterisation of the sensitivity of benthic organisms to CO₂ and formation water leakages

• Assessment of the probability, focal mechanisms and magnitudes of induced seismicity

• In-depth investigation of the impacts of induced seismicity on offshore wind farms and infrastructure

• Model-based estimation of potential leakage rates along wells and fault zones

• Derivation of risk-minimising injection schemes and testing of hydraulic intervention measures

• Experimental investigation of CO₂ and formation water leakage

• Development of proposals for threshold values for allowable pressure increase, induced seismicity and leakage rates

• Preparation of a scoping report for a future Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

TP3: Technologies and Strategies for Storage Monitoring

• Development, construction and deployment of seismic sensors for recording subsurface microseismicity

• Estimation of the detection threshold for seismicity in Study Area A

• Development of a concept for real-time data transmission

• Development of a monitoring strategy for CO₂ storage in Study Area A