Assessing the Potential of the Mesohellenic Trough and Other Sites, in Greece, for CO2 Storage

Abstract

The Greek CO2 storage potential is composed mainly of aquifers as well as a few hydrocarbon fields. The potential for CO2 storage capacity in oil and gas fields in Greece lies offshore, in the Prinos-Kavala basin, in NE Greece, whereas the biggest share of the point source CO2 emissions come from NW Greece. There is also potential for storage in lignite fields, which have been extensively mined for power generation. This paper presents an overview of the potential CO2 storage of the Mesohellenic Trough (MT), in north-western Greece. Geological modelling assessed the CO2 storage potential in the (MT) and provided an estimation for the Pentalofos reservoir. According to the geological model, characterized by horizontal maximum dimensions of 47km by 100km and covering a surface area of 3813 km2, the deepest point where we can store CO2 corresponds to the base of the Tsarnos member, at -2544 m depth. We estimate that we can store up to 1435 Gt of CO2 in the Pentalofos Fm (Tsarnos and Kalloni Members) in the MT. The location of the potential storage sites, relative to emission points, forms interesting combinations, which are briefly presented in this paper. The results presented here will serve as a basis for pursuing this worthwhile piece of research in order to determine the most reliable and most cost efficient ways of transporting and storing CO2 in Greece and developing the right legal framework for achieving these goals.