Saline aquifer storage of CO₂ from major point sources - A Danish case study

This chapter presents data for a possible future aquifer storage site in Denmark and evaluates the entire CO₂ sequestration system including nature and characteristics of the geological structure, CO₂ point sources, transport, and injection system. Over the past two years, the potential for underground storage of CO₂ in Denmark has been evaluated as part of the European Community supported research project GESTCO (Geological storage of CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion). The Danish part of the study comprised the storage potential of hydrocarbon fields, deep saline aquifers, and a combined application in geothermal energy systems. Two main options exist with respect to geological sequestration of CO₂: utilization of CO₂ for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in the North Sea oil fields 500-100 km away from the emission points, and aquifer storage close to the individual emission point. The storage site comprises a 4-way domal structure with an estimated storage capacity of more than 1 Giga tons of CO₂. It is situated close to the largest CO₂ point source in Denmark. The analyzed sequestration system alone could account for up to half of the reduction required for Denmark to fulfill the Kyoto Protocol.