The project, funded by the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), has brought together 17 partners from research, industry and the consultancy sector from ten European countries. Five sites in different areas of Europe have been assessed, with the aim of determining whether they would be suitable for CO₂ storage in the future. Building on these finds, SiteChar has aimed to provide a general method for assessing geologic suitability for storage.

The results state that the selection of a storage site is a complex process that needs to take into account a variety of aspects, all interrelated, involving a multiplicity of expertise. This should be done by a multi-disciplinary team, to make sure that the safety and security of storage is ensured and considered from all angles. The role of the regulator in steering the choices of the operator with regard to site choice, characterisation and monitoring is fundamental.

According to SiteChar, making the choice regarding the storage of CO₂ at a given site should hence be the final step of a complex back-and-forth process which involves the operator, regulators and local communities.

SiteChar’s website can be found here and its summary report is available here.