Six areas with potential geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) have been identified in Greece. In addition to Energean's CO2 storage project in Prinos, with a budget of 1 billion euros, which has already been included in the Projects of Common Interest (PCI), the National Center for Research and Technological Development scientists have identified five other potential areas for the installation of capture technologies, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) or CO2 storage in our country.x areas with potential geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) have been identified in Greece. In addition to Energean's CO2 storage project in Prinos, with a budget of 1 billion euros, which has already been included in the Projects of Common Interest (PCI), the National Center for Research and Technological Development scientists, have identified five other potential areas for the installation of capture technologies, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) or CO2 storage in our country.
According to the Director of Research at the National Center for Research and Technological Development Dr. Nikolaos Koukouzas, geological deposits are located in Western Thessaloniki, in Ptolemaida - Kozani, in Vourino, in Pentalofos and Eptachori in Western Macedonia, in Volos and Klepa in Nafpaktia.
Carbon sequestration hubs
At the same time, a recent study (October 2023) conducted by the Institute for Energy of South-East Europe (IENE), in which Mr. Koukouzas also participated, showed five areas where carbon sequestration hubs (CCUS hubs) can be built that will collect pollutants from power plants , cement factories, refineries and steel mills. It is proposed to be located in:
· Aspropyrgo-Elefsina-Corinth
· Bullet
· Thessaloniki
· Alexandroupoli
· Prino
In fact, as the president and executive director of the Institute of Southern East Europe (IENE) Mr. Kostis Stambolis explained, speaking a few days ago to the members of the Environment Committee of the Parliament, the Greek CCS hubs are in fact an integrated chain of CO2 capture, liquefaction, transport and storage, in close proximity to industrial complexes , with the final destination port facilities, from where the CO2 will be transported by special specification ships, to its final storage, either in Greece, in Prinos, or in other areas in the Mediterranean.
A characteristic example of such an integrated hub, in the European area, is Net Zero Teesside, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The IENE study (carried out with funding from HelleniQ Energy, DEPA, DESFA, EDEYEP and Franco Compania Naviera) examines in detail how to address emissions from industrial sources in Greece and proposes a roadmap for the implementation of CCUS in Greece, specifying which projects, when and where they should be done to achieve the CCUS technology implementation goals as soon as possible and in the most economical way.
According to IENE, in 2027 it is estimated that the construction of the CCUS hub in Elefsina and Agios Theodoros can begin (after completion of studies, tender, search for European funding, etc.), with its operation set for the end of 2028. Also, the 2027 it is proposed to start the feasibility study for a CCUS hub in Thessaloniki and Alexandroupoli, with construction starting in mid-2029 and completion in mid-2030, while in 2032 the construction of a CCUS hub in Volos is planned.
The storage in Prinos
The official inclusion in the Projects of Common Interest (PCI) of the "Prinos CO2 Storage" project, i.e. the CO2 storage project in Prinos, coincides with an effort by Energean to promote it internationally, in order to highlight its importance. After all, in the Eastern Mediterranean it is the only project that is "running", while in total in the European South only three such projects (Prinos, Ravenna, Pyrenees) are underway, while in the North there are dozens.
In fact, today Monday at the Greek pavilion of the COP 28 (International Conference of the United Nations on Climate Change) in Dubai, the CEO of the Energean group, Mathios Rigas, is expected to focus on the importance of the project as part of the solution to climate problems and as outlet for industrial activity and hydrocarbon production, speaking with the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum, Mr. Tarek El Molla, the Deputy Minister of Energy, Mrs. Alexandra Sdoukou, and the president of EDEYEP, Mr. Rikard Skoufias.
Next steps for the project are the commissioning of the second phase of the subsoil study and the international tender process for the commissioning of the Environmental and Social Impact Study.
The Prinos repository, a €1 billion project, will have an absorption capacity of 2.5 to 3 million tons of CO2 per year in full operation. The first phase (for a capacity of about 1 million tons per year) will be completed by the end of 2025 and the second phase (full capacity) by the end of 2027.
For the construction of the warehouse in Prinos, a subsidy of 150 million euros has been pledged through the Recovery and Resilience Fund, while funds of 75 million euros have been pledged to REPowerEU for the creation by DESFA of the CO2 transport pipeline network, which will be collected by industries , will be liquefied in a special facility in Attica, probably near Revythoussa, and then transferred to the Prinos warehouse. The total cost amounts to 500 to 600 million euros.
CO2 capture units are planned to be installed by the HERACLES and TITAN cement factories, Motor Oil for CO2 capture in the refinery's hydrogen production unit, HELLENiQ Energy for the Elefsina refinery, Mytilineos, etc. It is noteworthy that eight non-binding MoUs have been signed for the Prinos warehouse for the use of the infrastructure by Greek, as well as foreign industries from neighboring countries (Italy, Croatia and Bulgaria).
Need for a second warehouse
In any case, according to the presentation of the head of the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Management Company, Mr. Aristophanes Stefatos, to the deputies of the Environment Committee, "we estimate that we can filter into Prinos one to three million tons a year (its total capacity is 60 million tons )". As he mentioned, based on a DESFA study, it is estimated that heavy industry emits 8 to 15 million tons of CO2 per year in a radius of 30 and 100 kilometers around Attica, and another 5 million tons per year in Northern Greece. "So we need to mature at least one second warehouse in Greece", noted Mr. Stefatos.
Many EU member states and other developed countries have already turned to storage, realizing that the road to climate neutrality is proving difficult as insurmountable obstacles arise in efforts to zero out dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.
Planned and existing carbon capture and storage sites across Europe highlight growing demand for CO2 shipping (source: International Association of Oil & Gas Producers)
In CCS technologies, which these days are attracting international attention at COP28, Europe is leading the way with specific projects. The first concerns the "Porthos" project for CO2 storage in empty gas fields in the North Sea expected to be operational in 2026 for which the Final Investment Decision was taken.
For the second, an agreement was signed a week ago to transport and store 800,000 tons of CO2 from an ammonia plant in the Netherlands to the Northern Lights project in Norway, which will start operating in 2024.
A total of 36 projects are being developed in Europe for 110 Mt (million tons) CO2 per year until 2030, of which 17 projects are located in EU Member States for 35 Mt CO2 per year until 2030. The EU strategy, which still under development and expected to be published in early 2024, it includes a target of developing 50 Mt CO2 storage in the EU by 2030, which demonstrates that there are huge investment needs that are not met by existing or planned private investment.
As the EU's Energy Commissioner Mrs. Country Simpson recently stated, carbon sequestration is essential to contain the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It is no coincidence that the new list new list of projects of common and mutual interest of the EU includes about 14 CO2 transport and storage projects, including the Prinos repository.
Globally, as Mr. Koukouzas reports, more than 50 large-scale CCUS projects are underway. Today, 27 CCS facilities are operating around the world, while it is estimated that by 2050 another 2,705 new facilities will be added.
What are CCUS facilities?
According to the Director of Research at the National Center for Research and Technological Development Dr. Nikolaos Koukouzas, CCUS sequesters CO2 from large point sources (power plants or industrial facilities). If not used on site, CO2 is compressed, transported and injected into geological formations for storage. See here where CO2 is used (either on-site or from storage facilities/CCUS).
source: ot.gr, offshoreco2.com