Joint Research Project Brine: Carbon Dioxide Storage in Eastern Brandenburg: Implications for Synergetic Geothermal Heat Recovery and Conceptualization of an Early Warning System Against Freshwater Salinization

Brine was a scientific joint-project implemented to accompany a prospective CO2 storage site in Eastern Brandenburg, Germany. In this context, we investigated if pore pressure elevation in a CO2 storage reservoir can result in shallow freshwater salinization involving the conceptual design of a geophysical early warning system. Furthermore, assessments of a potential synergetic geothermal heat recovery from the CO2 storage reservoir and hydro-mechanical integrity were carried out. The project results demonstrate that potential freshwater salinization is strongly depending on the presence and characteristics of geological weakness zones. The integrated geophysical early warning system allows for reliable monitoring of these potential leakage pathways at different spatial and time scales.