Fugro GEOS, in partnership with Sonardyne, is leading a three-year, all-British project for the Energy Technologies Institute to develop a carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring system using marine robotics. Valued at £1 million in the first year, the project aims to provide assurance that CO2 stored deep below the seabed in Carbon Capture and Storage sites is secure. The safety of such a method is of paramount importance, with feasibility studies currently underway in the UK and overseas on a number of CCS projects.

A consortium of British multi-discipline partners will examine the requirements for the Measurement, Monitoring and Verification system. The project will result in the construction of a technology demonstrator with sea trials; a comprehensive review at the end of the three year period; and a solution to a legislative requirement to monitor potential CO2 leaks and their effect on the environment.

As Den Gammer, ETI Strategy Manager for CCS, said, “Progress on the development of a cost-effective, reliable monitoring system for the marine environment above CO2 storage complexes is another key step in the process of building confidence in a new CCS industry in the UK.

“Although leakage is highly unlikely we have a duty to ensure that stores are actually protecting the environment and this technology will bring peace of mind to both the operator and the regulator. Our modelling work has shown that CCS has the potential to play a major role in any future low carbon UK energy system, with technological innovation delivering both economic and environmental benefits to the country. This project helps to move the industry and UK capability forward.”

“The challenge set by ETI is the development of an entirely new capability in the MMV of under-sea carbon capture storage sites,” explained Anthony Gaffney, Managing Director, Fugro GEOS Ltd.  “This is a truly exciting and ground-breaking project with worldwide ramifications. It is great to see Britain and British organisations leading the way and we are proud to bring our wealth of experience to this key project.”

“Fugro is constantly seeking to diversify and expand its range of technological solutions into new markets. We are well-established in the marine sector and, together with the respective strengths of our technical partners from industry, academia and research, we will ensure that the ETI has selected a consortium able to deliver a cost-effective and commercially exploitable monitoring solution for the carbon capture industry.”

Fugro GEOS has a long MMV history with a track record extending over 30 years, encompassing a diversity of projects worldwide in some of the harshest oceanographic environments.