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The Prinos CO₂ Storage Site (Greece): Seismotectonic Setting and Monitoring Challenges

The Prinos CO₂ storage site, located offshore in the seismically active North Aegean Sea, represents a pioneering effort in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology in Greece. With an annual storage capacity of 2.5–3 million tons of CO₂, the Prinos project demonstrates the feasibility of multimodal CO₂ transport and offshore storage, as part of the EU-funded HORIZON project COREu (grant ID 101136217). This effort addresses key challenges in scalable decarbonization by advancing technologies for transport interoperability, Measurement-Monitoring-Verification (MMV), and the safe, cost-effective design of CCS chains.

The storage site is situated near known active fault systems which include normal and strike-slip faults associated with the North Aegean Trough and adjacent crustal deformation zones. The challenges of seismic monitoring in such a complex tectonic setting are addressed by employing novel technologies—such as wireless subsea sensors (Saipem’s) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with CO₂ sniffers—it sets a precedent for integrated CCS monitoring systems. Seismic monitoring aims to establish a robust baseline of seismicity using historical records and geophysical data, while assessing the impacts of CO₂ injection at depths of 2700–3000 meters, under ~110 bars of pressure, within the saline aquifer. Real-time observations from subsea acquisition nodes and onshore seismic stations track micro-seismic events during and after injection, correlating spatiotemporal seismicity patterns with plume evolution and injection parameters. Advanced probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard assessment (SHA) models, evaluate fault activation hazards and stress transfer within the reservoir. Cost-effective solutions, like multi-well DAS vertical seismic profiling, are also explored to ensure long-term seismic monitoring. The Prinos case study advances real-time hazard forecasting methodologies and positions Greece as a leader in CCS innovation, contributing to sustainable industrial practices and the broader goals of European decarbonization.

Session: From Physics to Forecasts: Advancements and Future Directions of Induced Seismicity Research - II

Type: Oral

Room: Key Ballroom 12

Date: 4/15/2025

Presentation Time: 10:45 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Marco Pilz

Student Presenter: No

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