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Researchers seek to make energy and carbon storage feasible on a large scale in Brazil
The GeoStorage Project includes the development of solutions such as a hydrogen super battery, energy storage with compressed air, and blue hydrogen in the pre-salt layer.
Scientists study the transformation of pre-salt natural gas, rich in carbon dioxide (CO₂), into blue hydrogen, used as fuel on offshore platforms – Photomontage Jornal da USP made with images by Erick Caldas Xavier/Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 4.0, tsuda/Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 2.0 e NPS/Wikimedia Commons
USP’s Research Center for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI) has just announced the creation of GeoStorage, a hub(integrated research unit) composed by a series of projects aimed at positioning Brazil as a global leader in large-scale energy and carbon storage systems. The studies are aimed at improving the use and development of new energy sources in the Country, as well as reducing emissions of pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO₂). This new initiative expands RCGI’s portfolio, which is dedicated to developing crucial technologies for the energy transition, further strengthening the center’s role in energy innovation and sustainability. “Brazil has extraordinary potential to stand out in this sector, aligning itself with the main international initiatives. GeoStorage’s technologies are essential to the energy transition, and the growing interest of global companies in applying them reinforces the hub’s relevance in the energy scenario,” says RCGI’s CEO and scientific director, Julio Meneghini. “With the demand for clean hydrogen projected for 2050 and carbon capture estimated to reach 115 gigatons by 2060, the impact of these technologies is clear and transformative for the future of sustainable energy,” adds Pedro Vassalo Maia da Costa, director of thehub and researcher at USP’s School of Engineering (Poli).
Julio Meneghini - Photo: Lattes
GeoStorage was officially launched during the International Conference on Energy Transition (ETRI 2024), held by the RCGI in São Paulo from November 5 to 7. The new research hub consolidates RCGI’s knowledge and experience in developing innovative technologies for the geological storage of carbon and hydrogen in Brazil, standing out with the patent for the technology of gravitational separation of methane and CO₂ in salt caverns, winner of the ANP Technological Innovation Award in 2019.
The initiative also includes renowned experts, such as Professor Colombo Tassinari, from USP’s Institute of Energy and Environment (IEE), who received the ANP Award for Scientific Personality in 2023, presented by the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP), and Nathália Weber, a non-profit organization that supports the development of carbon capture and storage projects in Brazil. In addition, GeoStorage is anchored in a robust base of scientific studies validated by publications and presentations at international conferences.
One of GeoStorage’s main research themes, the hydrogen superbattery challenge, is to solve the problem of intermittency of renewable energies such as wind and solar. Using salt caverns to store hydrogen produced by electrolysis during times of low prices and surplus energy, the technology makes it possible to convert the hydrogen back into electricity during periods when prices are higher and there is a need to preserve hydroelectric power plant reservoirs. This system offers large-scale storage capacity, ranging from hundreds of gigawatts (GWh) to terawatts (TWh), at a cost 240 times lower than hydraulic pumping systems and 2,000 times lower than lithium batteries.
Sustainable storage
Sustainable Storage with Compressed Air (Caes), a pioneering proposal in Brazil, aims to manage load fluctuations in the grid and support the integration of renewable energies. The system works by compressing air in underground caverns using the excess energy generated during periods of low energy demand. When demand increases, compressed air is released and passes through turbines that convert this energy back into electricity. Its implementation cost is half that of reversible hydroelectric power plants and up to 20 times less than lithium batteries.
Blue hydrogen in the pre-salt aims to transform associated natural gas from Brazil’s CO₂-rich pre-salt reservoirs into blue hydrogen directly on offshore extraction platforms. Using a steam reforming or pyrolysis process, natural gas is converted into hydrogen and stored in salt caverns. The technology maximizes the economical use of natural gas, avoiding the high costs and risks associated with the continuous reinjection of CO₂ into oil reservoirs. It also reduces dependence on gas pipelines and onshore infrastructure.
The RCGI has developed an already patented technology for the gravitational separation of methane (CH₄) and CO₂ in salt caverns, solving the problem of the high CO₂ content in pre-salt natural gas. The new technology replaces membrane filtration, which is expensive and requires continuous reinjection of CO₂, which can compromise wells. With this solution, the two gases are stored separately, reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of natural gas recovery.
Focused on the Paraná Sedimentary Basin, one of the largest and most promising in South America for storing gases, the GeoStorage CO₂ & Hydrogen project combines geophysical, geomechanical, and geochemical data to monitor the integrity of the reservoirs. The basin offers ideal conditions for CO₂ sequestration and hydrogen storage, which are key to the energy transition.
Research into the decarbonization of the Amazon evaluates the potential of the Amazon sedimentary basin for the geological storage of CO₂, while simultaneously exploring the production of natural gas. Using advanced geological and seismic modeling tools, the project aims to consolidate a geophysical and geological database for the use of black shales as reservoirs of CO₂ and shale gas, promoting the decarbonization of the region.
Headquartered at USP’s School of Engineering (Poli), the RCGI is an Engineering Research Center created in 2015 with funding from the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp) and companies through resources provided for in the ANP’s research, development, and innovation (RD&I) clause in oil and gas exploration and commercialization agreements. There are currently around 60 active research projects (out of a record 110), with around 600 researchers and collaborations with various international institutions, such as Oxford University and Imperial College in the United Kingdom, Princeton University and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States.
Find out more about RCGI here.
*From the RCGI Communications Office, adapted by Júlio Bernardes
**Intern under the supervision of Moisés Dorado
English version: Nexus Traduções
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A reprodução de matérias e fotografias é livre mediante a citação do Jornal da USP e do autor. No caso dos arquivos de áudio, deverão constar dos créditos a Rádio USP e, em sendo explicitados, os autores. Para uso de arquivos de vídeo, esses créditos deverão mencionar a TV USP e, caso estejam explicitados, os autores. Fotos devem ser creditadas como USP Imagens e o nome do fotógrafo.