Potential Site Characterization and Geotechnical Engineering Aspects on CO2 Sequestration in Korea

Abstract

Since the Industrial Revolution, CO2 emission rates have increased dramatically due to the increased use of fossil fuels. The geological CO2 sequestration (GCS), which is long-term storage of CO2 in deep geological formations, has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 20%, a figure considered necessary to stabilize atmospheric CO2 levels over the next century. Thus, several large-scale GCS projects are in planning or operational stages around the world. The Korean government also aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% comparing to the emissions as usual (i.e., Business as usual; BAU) by 2020, and GCS technology is expected to play a critical role in accounting for more than 10% of the reduction of CO2 emissions. However, the research related to CCS in Korea has focused largely on CO2 capture technology since the early 2000s, and less attention has been paid to GCS technology and large-scale pilot demonstrations. The purpose of this paper is to present the current state technologies and strategies related to GCS worldwide, explore potential sites for GCS in Korea and attempt to determine the most suitable basin for GCS in Korea for future direction of geological CO2 sequestration in Korea. Finally, important scientific questions and technical challenges related to CO2 injection, storage, and monitoring processes are discussed from geotechnical engineering perspectives.