Underground Sun Conversion (USC)
Abstract
The increasing production of electrical power, obtained from renewable energy sources, requires solutions for large-scale storage thereof. Using “Power-to-Gas“ technology, excess electricity is converted into gaseous hydrogen so providing energy in storable from. Within the scope of this project, hydrogen obtained from renewable energy sources and carbon dioxide are injected into a natural gas reservoir (106 Nm3). The aim of the project is to convert these gases into “green methane” making use of the metabolism of naturally occurring methanogenic microorganisms inside the gas reservoir. In this case, porous reservoirs are not only used as natural bio-reactors for the biogenic methanation process, they also serve as gas storage facility. So produced “green methane” is fully compatible with the existing gas grid. These microbially catalysed subsurface processes are then evaluated regarding their potential for industrial use. To this end, laboratory tests, simulations and a scientific field test in an existing reservoir will be carried out. To simulate microbial growth in an underground storage environment, drilling cores from the reservoir are placed in bioreactors which are then filled with reservoir brine from a depth of 1200 m below surface. The reactors are operated at reservoir pressure (45 bara) and temperature (40°C) and are exposed to defined stoichiometric and off-stoichiometric mixtures of hydrogen and carbon dioxide in methane. Biogeochemical transformation processes of gaseous, liquid and solid contents of the reactors will be analysed. Based on these results, methods to control the microbial process will be developed and used to optimise methane production. Findings from laboratory experiments will feed into the implementation of the in-situ reservoir experiments. CO2 produced during the combustion of “green methane” can be captured and reinjected into the reservoir together with hydrogen from renewable sources to again generate methane. This way a large-scale „closed carbon cycle“ process can be established.
carbon dioxide utilization microbial processes Bioenergy energy storage power to gas environmental research mineral deposit science, petroleum technology biotechnology hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis green methane Microbiology of reservoirs CO2 neutral process CCC (closed carbon cycle) hydrogen natural gas reservoir
Publikationen
Project staff
Andreas Paul Loibner
Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Andreas Paul Loibner
andreas.loibner@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97470
BOKU Project Leader
01.01.2017 - 28.02.2021
BOKU partners
External partners
RAG Austria AG
none
partner
Energieinstitut an der Johannes Kepler Universität Linz
none
partner
ACIB GmbH
none
partner
Montanuniversität Leoben
none
partner
Axiom angewandte Prozeßtechnik Ges.m.b.H.
none
partner