Controlled CO2 release test facilities for environmental monitoring techniques of CCS in K-COSEM site, Korea

K-COSEM Research Center have been developing environmental monitoring technologies for secure geological CO2 storage using controlled CO2 release test facility since 2014. The test facilities were named EITs, and consisted of the unsaturated zone EIT for near surface ecosystem and the saturated zone EIT for shallow groundwater. The unsaturated zone EIT is composed of a subsurface horizontal well and the surface CO2 gas injection control system. The saturated zone EIT consists of an injection well, a few multi-level monitoring wells, and CO2 dissolution and injection system. In the 1st phase research (FY 2014~2017), K-COSEM had performed f ive CO2 release tests using CO2 gas at unsaturated zone EIT during 2015~2017, and two CO2 release tests were carried out using CO2 infused groundwater at saturated zone EIT during 2016~2017. K-COSEM had secured key technologies such as CO2 leakage detection, environmental impact identification and evaluatio n in soil ecosystem and shallow aquifer for CO2 storage environment management. The 2nd phase research of K-COSEM had started last year (FY 2018~2021). The research objectives are establishing/demonstrating environmental management monitoring system are for actual CO2 storage sites. So the 2nd phase research includes the advancement the EIT facilities considering the various leaking scenarios such as the release test using CO2 gas in the shallow aquifer and the release test using CO2 saturated water in the fractured-rock aquifer. A new test facility ha d been established and CO2 release test performed to verify geophysical monitoring tech nique in unsaturated zone during 2018~2019 . And t he saturated zone EIT facility was modified for gaseous CO2 release test. The enhanced EIT facilities could be used to demonstrate a variety of the CO2 monitoring techniques and integrated environmental m onitoring system .

A cknowledgement : This work was supported by Korea Environment Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) through CO2 Storage Environmental Management Research Program, funded by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE)(2018001810001) .