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The European Geosciences Union (EGU) brings together geoscientists from all over the world covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary and space sciences. This geoscientific interdisciplinarity is needed to tackle the challenges of the future. One major challenge for humankind is to provide adequate and reliable supplies of affordable energy and other resources in efficient and environmentally sustainable ways. This Energy Procedia issue provides an overview of the contributions of the Division on Energy, Resources & the Environment (ERE) at the EGU General Assembly 2017.

AbstractThis paper presents the experimental plans and designs as well as examples of predictive modeling of a pilot-scale CO2 injection experiment at the Heletz site (Israel). The overall objective of the experiment is to find optimal ways to characterize CO2 -relevant in-situ medium properties, including field-scale residual and dissolution trapping, to explore ways of characterizing heterogeneity through joint analysis of different types of data, and to detect leakage. The experiment will involve two wells, an injection well and a monitoring well. Prior to the actual CO2 injection, hydraulic, thermal and tracer tests will be carried out for standard site characterization. The actual CO2 injection experiments will include (i) a single well injection-withdrawal experiment, with the main objective to estimate in-situ residual trapping and (ii) a two-well injection-withdrawal test with injection of CO2 in a dipole mode (injection of CO2 in one well with simultaneous withdrawal of water in the monitoring well), with the objective to understand the CO2 transport in heterogeneous geology as well as the associated dissolution and residual trapping. Tracers will be introduced in both experiments to further aid in detecting the development of the phase composition during CO2 transport. Geophysical monitoring will also be implemented. By means of modeling, different experimental sequences and injection/withdrawal patterns have been analyzed, as have parameter uncertainties. The objectives have been to (i) evaluate key aspects of the experimental design, (ii) to identify key parameters affecting the fate of the CO2 and (iii) to evaluate the relationships between measurable quantities and parameters of interest.

AbstractThe CO2-neutral self-supply of heat and electric energy is an important objective for new and existing buildings in the future [1,2]. Therefor the energy autonomous house (EAH) as a new concept for single-family buildings in central Europe is presented. It represents a further development of the solar and efficiency house concepts based on full self-sufficiency in thermal (partly provided by a fireplace) and electrical energy (100%). Two occupied houses have been built in Germany and they are under an extensive scientific monitoring with real user behavior since 2014. This contribution is focused on thermal energy balances and the differences due to different user behavior and the influence of weather conditions. The evaluated solar fraction was fsol, th ≥ 71.4% and fsol, el ≥ 91.8% for both houses in 2014. So far the 100% autonomy in electricity could not be reached due to the unusual low irradiation in Jan. and Dec. 2014 (-24% / -37% compared to long term values). Nevertheless the planned low electricity consumption of ∼ 2000 kWh/year could nearly be achieved, whereby a self-consumption rate of electric energy gains of ≥ 31.8% were assumed. Further findings of 1 ½ years of monitoring of the two EAH are presented within the paper.

AbstractWe measured dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) stable isotopes (813CDIC in ‰) of brine from an observation well within the first aquifer above the CO2 reservoir at the Ketzin pilot site, to test weather these can detect potential CO2 leakage. The monitoring revealed that DIC concentrations and 813CDIC values were masked by the used high alkaline drilling mud, even eight months after well development. However, subsequent changes in 813CDIC and DIC from of -27 ‰ and 165mg L−1 to -23.5 ‰ and 116mg L−1 reflect most likely a shift towards pristine values of the aquifer.

Abstract The complete cycle of specific processes related to the geological storage of CO 2 is investigated in detail at Ketzin since 2004. The scientific monitoring program targets different depths of the involved area and addresses the safety and reliability of the storage. The surface monitoring comprises long-term soil CO 2 flux measurements and soil gas analyses. Annual mean values of soil CO 2 fluxes ranged from 2.4 to 3.4 µmol m -2 s -1 before the injection started (2005-2008) and from 2.3 to 3.5 µmol m -2 s -1 during and after CO 2 injection (2009-2016) and thus do not indicate an upward migration of the injected CO 2 .

AbstractA high-pressure/high-temperature reactor has been used to lead PVT and H2-solubility experiments in saline solutions covering conditions for which no data are available in literature: salinity up to halite concentration, pressure up to 200bar and temperature up to 373K. The hereby presented preliminary results show significant deviations from theoretical models. Further analysis and more measurements are needed to assess precision and reproducibility of these measurements; however they pinpoint the importance of experimental work to reliably constrain predictive models.

Abstract A fundamental challenge of the German energy transition is the energy supply of industrial and chemical parks based on renewable energy. Presently, the energy demand of a chemical park with one third electricity and two thirds heat as a rough estimate is commonly supplied by a heat-controlled fossil fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant. If applicable, the surplus electricity generated by such plants is sold and fed into the grid. Since the reliable energy supply of all users and facilities is priority, energy storage can be incorporated, if fluctuating renewable energy sources shall be used. This paper presents energy supply concepts without adjustments to the industrial park infrastructure or the processes themselves and proposes utilization of high temperature thermal energy storage (TES) technologies such as molten-salt, as well as power-to-heat (PtH) technology in the central CHP supply infrastructure. The objective of this study is to identify the major possibilities for integrating TES in a future energy supply system for an industrial park in Germany. It shall be shown how the flexibility of an utility supplier can be increased, so that further revenue can be generated from participating in the energy market. For this task different concepts will be proposed and applicable TES technologies will be identified. The benefits for the utility supplier and how carbon dioxide reduction and integration of renewable energies can be achieved will be highlighted. Finally, an overview of concepts with additional TES and PtH components for the energy supply of industrial or chemical parks in Germany is presented qualitatively. This overview includes the following criteria: flexibility, carbon dioxide reduction and the increased use of CHP. Overall a better understanding of potential flexibility measures for the utility supply infrastructure in the chemical industry is generated.

Abstract To improve food security a conceptual integration beyond the scope of production in the agricultural sector due to examination of critical supply chain system compartments and levels of services (“integrated food production and supply systems”) is proposed. For creating systematic results, a platform integrating various perspectives of experts has been established following the principle of triple helix stakeholdership (business practice, public management/policy and also science). During a series of workshops, the main actors, success factors, challenges and communication strategies have been identified for shaping sustainable food supply chains under use of systems thinking and the application of Participatory Systems mapping (PSM). In this line, the paper presents how “system maps” based on the method of PSM are used to gain insights into sustainable logistics services facilitating sustainable consumption patterns, enabling participatory considerations and the productive exchange of knowledge.