This work package focuses on the assessment and mitigation of the risks related to the geological storage of CO2 (e.g. loss of containment, potential direct effects of CO2 leakage on the biosphere) and the containment of CO2 in the anticipated reservoir particularly during the stages of site closure and the post-closure site care according to the prescriptions in the CCS-DIRECTIVE 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009.
Key elements of the research are:
- development of procedures and criteria for site abandonment compliant to the existing CCS Directive and OSPAR Guidelines;
- development of scientific methods and tools for risk management related to abandonment of the site;
- plan for risk management prior to and after transfer of responsibility;
- development of criteria for transfer of responsibility;
- development of risk management methods and tools for site abandonment;
- method for determining full system risk and uncertainty including optimisation;
- model probability from comparison of measurements and model computations;
- evaluating developed plans, methods and tools on selected storage sites;
- site-specific abandonment plan and risk management of the sites;
- model verification and uncertainty analysis.
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The figure illustrates the time line of post-operational risk management. Depicted are the phases of the entire life-cycle of a storage site. CO2CARE concerns the final period of this life cycle beginning from the final injection phase initiation, representing the moment where the injection pressure is lowered until the final cessation of injection activities. As of this moment the site is in the post-operational phase and in the pre-transfer subphase. In this subphase post-operational risk management measures have to be performed by the operator to demonstrate the site is complying with the conditions demanded by the EU directive 2009/31/EC for a liability transfer to a competent authority (CA). As of the approval of the liability transfer by the CA the post-transfer subphase is initiating. After the liability transfer has been accomplished a reduced monitoring program may be continued by the CA.