Managing the environmental sustainability of the offshore energy transition: a solutions-based approach (MOET)
Lead Research Organisation:
British Geological Survey
Department Name: Energy Systems and Basin Analysis
Abstract
Recent research suggests that the effects of climate change are already tangible, making the requirement for net zero more pressing than ever. Part of the solution for net zero will be geo-energy technologies in the North Sea, including offshore wind, blue and green hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage. These new technologies will interact with each other in the potentially-sensitive subsurface, seabed and water column. The project will assess the environmental sustainability of these technologies combined, for selected test areas of the UK offshore, and will develop solutions to make sure that the technology and infrastructure of the offshore energy transition, works well, is efficient, and does not harm the environment. Work package 1 focuses on the security and viability of industrial scale subsurface offshore hydrogen storage and carbon dioxide storage and investigates how the two might interact, and how best to make decisions about when to use storage space for hydrogen, and when for carbon dioxide. Work package 2 focuses on the characteristics of the sea bed and water column above the storage sites in the geology, and the effects of gas or fluid release from geological storage on the environment, and the environmental interactions of other offshore energy infrastructure like windfarms and cables. Work package 3 will focus on the social implications of an offshore energy transition, evaluating the risks and benefits of different technological scenarios to ecosystem services (the natural benefits that we get from the ocean, like fisheries), and it will look for net benefits where combinations of technologies provide extra environmental or efficiency improvements. Work package 4 will work with other WPs to ensure a fully integrated project, bringing together outputs from each work package into a usable form to support the decisions that stakeholders like the Oil and Gas Authority, Crown Estate, National Grid, and operators like Equinor, might make in the future.
Organisations
Publications
| Description | Contributon of discussion paper and attendence at UK Government Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) Chief Scientific Advisor Roundtable on CO2 Storage |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | OFGEM/Innovate UK's Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) |
| Amount | £138,382 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 08/2024 |
| Description | OFGEM/Innovate UK's Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) |
| Amount | £111,580 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2024 |
| End | 08/2024 |
| Title | BGS Seabed Geology 10k: Anglesey version 1.0 |
| Description | The BGS Seabed Geology 10k: Anglesey digital map portrays the distribution of the different types of bedrock and sediments that are interpreted to represent the dominant geology within to the top 1-2 metres of the seabed to the north-west of Anglesey, at a scale of 1:10 000. It also includes the distribution of the main seabed morphological and geomorphological features (e.g. drumlins, sandwaves) and the principal structural features observed at rockhead (fractures). This digital map is the result of the interpretation of two high-resolution, multibeam echo-sounder (MBES) bathymetry datasets: (i) the Off Skerries HI1420 survey, collected by Net Survey in 2013 as part of the Civil Hydrography Programme (CHP) surveys managed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for the UK Hydrographic Office; and (ii) the North St George's Channel candidate Marine Conservation Zone (rMCZ) survey, collected jointly by JNCC and Cefas in 2012 for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). MBES backscatter, physical samples (e.g. grabs, cores, and boreholes), academic papers and previous BGS geological interpretations at broader scales (250k and 50k scales) were used to further inform this geological interpretation. The bedrock is divided into three units: (i) Neoproterozoic to Palaeozoic age metamudstones and metasandstones of the Monian Supergroup; (ii) undifferentiated Lower Palaeozoic age rocks (mudstone, volcaniclastics, siltstone, slate); and (iii) limestone and sandstone of the Carboniferous Limestone Supergroup. The superficial deposits are composed of various types of glacial sediments (e.g. glacial till and morainic deposits) that were deposited underneath and around the margins of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet in the area, and also more recently deposited marine sediments. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We have released Seabed Geology mapping (Anglesey) within the MOET East Irish Sea focus area; |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/d2f2f8e8-8e97-40fb-9207-8755... |
| Title | BGS Seabed Geology 10k: Offshore Yorkshire version 1.0 |
| Description | The BGS Seabed Geology 10k: Offshore Yorkshire digital map products comprise three complementary components: 1) Substrate Geology, showing the distribution of Bedrock and Superficial geological units interpreted to be present within the top 1 m below seabed; 2) Structural Geology, delineating the principle structural features such as faults and folds observed at rockhead; and 3) Seabed Geomorphology, classifying the physical morphology and interpreted geomorphic character of the seabed. This geospatial product is the result of analysing, interpreting, and classifying several high-resolution, multibeam echo-sounder (MBES) bathymetry datasets, supported by further data and information, e.g., MBES backscatter, physical samples (e.g., grabs, cores, and boreholes), seismic data, academic and publicly accessible industry literature, and previous BGS mapping (e.g.,1:250k maps). The bedrock geology comprises Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, with bedrock commonly outcropping in the northern and central parts of the map area. Triassic rocks of the Bacton, Haisborough, and Lias Groups are dominant in the north, whereas Cretaceous Chalk is dominant in the central areas. Extensive folding, fracturing, and faulting are observed at the rockhead, indicative of the complex structural evolution of the southern North Sea basin. Superficial deposits comprise several Quaternary deposits, in particular, Late Pleistocene subglacial till of the Bolders Bank Formation. Post-glacial channel-infill deposits are also common as well as Holocene through modern unconsolidated marine sediments. The Seabed Geomorphology records a range of relict and active processes, including bedrock 'Bedding ridges', Late Pleistocene 'Ice-marginal moraines', and active marine sedimentary current-induced bedforms, e.g., 'Sediment Waves'. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We have released Seabed Geology mapping (Offshore Yorkshire - green polygon below) within the MOET Southern North Sea focus area; |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/4cd1b2e2-1f8f-4f9b-9991-2451... |
| Description | 8 bi-monthly project stakeholder newsletters January 2023-March 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 8 bi-monthly project stakeholder newsletters January 2023-March 2024 to a wide stakeholder project group |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| Description | Addressing the challenges of the Energy Transition: use of the UK subsurface for permanent and temporary geological storage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Keynote speaker at International Symposium on Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oil Systems. Presentation, to an international audience of around 100 from industry and academic sectors, focused on challenges of strategically utilising the UK's offshore geology to enable the wider energy transition towards net zero. The transition to low-carbon technologies to provide the UK population with heat, power and everyday materials, and reduce emissions has raised challenges for use of the UK offshore subsurface and seabed. The UK subsurface storage resource for the energy transition is reviewed: temporary storage of hydrogen in salt caverns and porous strata; the permanent storage of carbon dioxide. The concept of compressed air energy storage is considered. The UK strategy for decarbonisation of industry, power generation, and supply of low-carbon hydrogen is centred around clusters of industrial CO2 sources. Case studies illustrate the marked increase in requirement of CO2 storage for planned large-scale production of hydrogen for low-carbon heating at UK industry clusters. Comparison of the distribution of subsurface strata suitable for storage of gases, the footprint of offshore windfarms and existing uses of the subsurface and seabed has demonstrated potential for conflicts of use. Mapping of offshore storage resources for two industrial decarbonisation clusters illustrates co-location of sites for the temporary storage of hydrogen, the permanent storage of carbon dioxide, and existing uses of the subsurface. The potential for physical interaction with seabed installations is shown by the distribution of existing and planned windfarms. Research to model the effects of subsurface operations, their interaction and impact on seabed infrastructure is outlined. The research objective is to assess the synergies and minimise conflict to manage and optimise use of the busy UK subsurface and seabed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://ismos-9.org/ |
| Description | British Ecological Society Annual Conference 2023 Landscapes and Seascapes (thematic session Belfast) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Talk given on ecological and social effects of a future UK energy transition (Steve Watson) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | British Geological Survey Net Zero Week presentation series |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk on the challenges of the offshore energy transition to an audience of approximately 300 people, external and internal to the British Geological Survey. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Bunter Sandstone Formation, Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage webinar series |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Contribution to webinar series organised by Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage. Attendeess included regulators, professional practitioners, academics and industry |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.sccs.org.uk/latest/events/webinar-bunter-sandstone-formation-co2-storage-extensive-hydra... |
| Description | Central Scotland Regional Group, Geological Society of London, October 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Addressing the challenges of the Energy Transition: use of the UK subsurface for permanent and temporary geological storage. M Akhurst, BGS In-person audience of approximately 50 people and a similar number online featuring attendees from industry and academia sectors. The talk focused on the use of offshore UK geology to enable a stategic energy transition towards net zero. the talk sparked a good online and in person debate on the challenges faced. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.sccs.org.uk/latest/events/addressing-challenges-energy-transition-use-uk-subsurface-perm... |
| Description | IDRIC Solent Industrial Cluster Webinar Series presenation to a national audience |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dr Ed Hough gave a presentation on Enabling hydrogen storage near industrial clusters in January 2024 at a webinar attended by 50 people. There was significant interest in the potential for hydrogen storage locally and discussions on the feasibility of delivering future work were had. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://idric.org/idric-event/idric-cluster-webinar-series-solent-cluster/ |
| Description | IEAGHG Workshop Environment and Risk in CCS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Two invited talks given at workshop organized by IEAGHG at Heriot Watt to discuss and present the state of the art in environmental risk assessment, mitigation and management related to CO2 storage in the context of Carbon Capture and Storage. Environmental impact potential of well leakage and implications for monitoring (Jerry Blackford) The ACTOM toolbox: A decision support tool for environmental offshore monitoring (Marius Dewar) In the workshop included researchers and stakeholders from Japan, China, Australia, Americas, Europe, including (oil and gas majors: Equinor, BP, Shell). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://ieaghg.org/publications/technical-workshops |
| Description | IEAGHG Workshop Monitoring for CCS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Two invited talks given at workshop organized by IEAGHG at Louisina State University, Baton Rouge to discuss and present the state of the art in measurement, monitoring and verification related to CO2 storage in the context of Carbon Capture and Storage. STEMM CCS work on offshore marine monitoring & Interpreting data and variability offshore (both Jerry Blackford) In the workshop included researchers and stakeholders from Japan, China, Australia, Americas, Europe, including (oil and gas majors: Exxon, Equinor, BP, Shell). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://ieaghg.org/publications/technical-workshops |
| Description | In person stakeholder engagement event, London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In person stakeholder engagement event, London, to discuss ambitions and research of MOET project with wide and varied cast list. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Invited talk in Nanjing, China (9th Dec 2023): Underground gas (H2, CO2) Storage: Joint elastic-electrical monitoring for reservoir hydro-chemo-mechanical assessment in the laboratory |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This event was an SEG workshop entitled "Rock Physics and Geofluid Detection", that took place in Nanjing, China, on the 9-10th Dec 2023 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://dxy.hhu.edu.cn/en/2023/1219/c10164a269718/page.htm |
| Description | Invited talk in Trondheim, Norway (8-9th May 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk given by IHFS in Trondheim, Norway (May 2023), for the annual 2-days seminar of the (NTNU) Research Council and industry funded project entitled GAMES, where the G represents geophysics and the M has to do with Mathematics - The project is led by Martin Landrø. The event includes presentations by the local PhD students and professors involved, plus a few invited external speakers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Lecture at the University of Turin, Italy (18th July 2023): Underground gas (H2, CO2) Storage: Engineering-based solutions contributing towards a net-zero carbon society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Lecture given by IHFS at the Engineering School, University of Turin (Italy) to promote gas storage research among the student community |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.polito.it/ateneo/comunicazione-e-ufficio-stampa/appuntamenti/news?idn=21233 |
| Description | Meeting with Department Energy Security and Net Zero, December 2023, discussion with WP1 and WP2 MOET of salt cavern storage of hydrogen, microbial limits database, risks and consequences of hydrogen leakage. Review of a summary of the MOET project prepared by DESNZ, January 2024. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with Department Energy Security and Net Zero, December 2023, discussion with WP1 and WP2 MOET of salt cavern storage of hydrogen, microbial limits database, risks and consequences of hydrogen leakage. Review of a summary of the MOET project prepared by DESNZ, January 2024. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | ORIES Stakeholder Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | We presented the tools to 20 people from : the UK offshore wind policy leads (within DEFRA), the bodies responsible for planning and regulating the use of UK marine space (the Crown Estate and Marine Management Organisation), offshore wind developers (e.g., Orsted, Scottish Power Renewables), conservation agencies and NGOs (e.g. Natural England, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Blue Marine Foundation), research bodies (e.g., Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Centre for Environment, Fisheries Aquaculture Science) and organisations involved in facilitating the transition to net zero (e.g., the Carbon Trust) at a workshop in October 2023. Participants welcomed the tools and fed back on how they can be improved and how we can best share them to maximise uptake and impact. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Overview of Energy Storage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation by Ed Hough to to around 20 colleagues from British Embassy, Beijing, on the challenges identified in the project for Energy Storage in the subsurface. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation and discussion with The European Energy Research Alliance's Joint Programme on Carbon Capture and Storage (EERA CCS) on Managing the Environmental Sustainability of the Offshore Energy Transition (MOET). |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The European Energy Research Alliance's Joint Programme on Carbon Capture and Storage (EERA CCS) recently spotlighted the "Managing the Environmental Sustainability of the Offshore Energy Transition (MOET)" project, presented by Hazel Napier and Jim White of the British Geological Survey. The audience engaged in discission on the findings of the MOET preoject and the challenges of optimising use of the offshore for the energy transition |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://eera-ccs.eu/ |
| Description | Presentation at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland (5th March 2024): Joint elastic-electrical properties of Bunter sandstone during H2 and CO2 flow-through tests |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Oral presentation given by IHFS during the Minisymposium on Poroelasticity and Rock Physics 2024 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://rockphysics.org/en/minisymposium |
| Description | Two talks at Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage PhD consortium evenet and Tectonic Studies Group Meeting 2024, Geological Society of London to attendees from industry and acaademia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Two talks highligthing the Structural controls on pressure communication across the Bunter Sandstone Formation, UK Southern North Sea, were presented by ECR Lucy Abel. The talks generated interest in the work programme and resulted in ongoing discussions for future PhD studies and a potential Joint Industry Project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://tectonicstudiesgroup.org/meetings/ |
| Description | Webinar given to Hydrogen Energy Association with an audience of 100 people |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Webinar presentation, E Hough, October 2023. Given to Hydrogen Energy Association with an audience of 100 people. The webinar was followed by a Q&A session that attracted lots of interest |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Webinar given to Imperial College London attended by 30 people. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Webinar on Towards Net Zero: Geological perspectives of underground storage of hydrogen, given by Dr Ed Hough, to Imperial College London attended by 30 people. A spirited Qand A session followed the presentation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Workshop organization - NOC, Southampton, UK (12th May 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Workshop organized by IHFS in the NOC to discuss the present and the future of the underground gas storage, from a multiscale and multi-disciplinary viewpoint, internationally. We shared opinions from industry and academia to explore crucial areas of investigation and potential collaborations to efficiently contribute to achieve the energy transition objectives. In the workshop we counted with the presence of stakeholders (oil and gas majors: ENI, BP), professors from University of Southampton, University of Sao Paulo, and the NOC. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |