1. Geo-energy Test Beds: part of the European Plate Observing System Michael H. Stephenson, David Schofield, Chris Luton, Florian Haslinger, Jan Henninges and Domenico Giardini Contact Michael H. Stephenson (mhste@bgs.ac.uk)mhste@bgs.ac.uk Presented by David Boon Abstract For 2020, the EU has committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 1990 levels and further cuts are being decided for 2050. This commitment is one of the headline targets of the Europe 2020 growth strategy and is being implemented through binding legislation. This decarbonisation of the EU economy is one dimension of an overall EU energy and climate framework that is mutually interlinked with the need to ensure energy security, promote a fully integrated energy market, promote energy efficiency and promote research innovation and competitiveness. Power generation will have to take a particularly large part in emissions reductions ( ‐ 54 to ‐ 68% by 2030 and ‐ 93 to ‐ 99% by 2050), mainly by focussing on increasing surface renewables (wind, tidal and solar) but also on carbon capture and storage on fossil fuel and biofuel power plants, shale gas, nuclear and geothermal power. All the above generation technologies share common geological challenges around containment, safety and environmental sustainability. In a densely populated continent, this means that high levels of subsurface management are needed to fully realise the energy potential. In response to this need, across Europe, public and private sector funded, experimental test and monitoring facilities and infrastructures (Geo-energy Test Beds, GETB) are being developed. These GETB investigate the processes, technology and practices that facilitate the sustainable exploitation of Geo-energy resources and are of intense interest to the public and regulators alike. The vision of EPOS IP Work Package 17 (wp17) is to promote research and innovation in Geo-energy that reflects core European energy priorities through provision of virtual access to data and protocols and trans-national access to GETB experiments. This will be achieved through provision of access to continuous strategic observations, promotion of the integrated use of data and models from European GETB, development of underpinning research services and facilitating transnational roadmap planning for Geo-energy research priorities. In the first instance the main action of wp17 will be to build a consortium, formalised by MoU, of 12-15 existing and new GETB infrastructures. The MoU will provide the framework in which access to data and services can be developed. Geo Energy Test Beds, GETB What are GETBs? GETBs aim at understanding processes that make subsurface environmental sustainability possible in densely populated countries. GETB will design management systems for the subsurface; and underpin and develop regulation. GETB will help to bring about a new energy system in Europe ensuring (1) greater energy security and independence, access to low carbon, (2) reduced vulnerability to external energy price fluctuations and (3) home-­grown European energy solutions Main activities of WP17 Build a consortium of 12-­15 existing and new GETB infrastructures, with a common interest to develop a European geo-­energy agenda and coordinate experiments. Formalized by MoU to (1) develop a common European science and technology roadmap for geo- ­ ‐ energies (2) provide access to data collected in the experiments defined in the roadmap, and (3) allow consortium members access to the different facilities to perform specific experiments. Types of GETB involved in the project 1.Deep geothermal energy, 2.Conventional and non-­conventional gas and oil 3.Geological nuclear waste repository 4.Geological sequestration 5.Deep mining Task in WP17 17.1 and 3 establish the governance and ensure the integration with the EPOS-­ ‐ IP 17.2 develops the GETB science and technology roadmap, 17.4 develops specific GETB activities and services, 17.5 delivers the proof of concept and testing phase for GETB services. In order to manage the complex and competing demands we put on the subsurface in the future, we need to develop comprehensive subsurface sensor systems To manage energy in particular, we will need to develop systems to allow monitoring of and experimentation with subsurface energy technologies What is EPOS EPOS, the European Plate Observing System, is a long-term plan to facilitate integrated use of data, data products, and facilities from distributed research infrastructures for solid Earth science in Europe. EPOS will bring together Earth scientists, national research infrastructures, ICT (Information & Communication Technology) experts, decision makers, and public to develop new concepts and tools for accurate, durable, and sustainable answers to societal questions concerning geo-hazards and those geodynamic phenomena (including geo-resources) relevant to the environment and human welfare. EPOS vision is that the integration of the existing national and trans-national research infrastructures will increase access and use of the multidisciplinary data recorded by the solid Earth monitoring networks, acquired in laboratory experiments and/or produced by computational simulations. The establishment of EPOS will foster worldwide interoperability in the Earth sciences and services to a broad community of users. EPOS mission is to integrate the diverse and advanced European Research Infrastructures for solid Earth science, and build on new e-science opportunities to monitor and understand the dynamic and complex solid-Earth System. EPOS will identify existing gaps and promote implementation plans with environmental, marine and space science to help solve the grand challenges facing the Earth and its inhabitants. What is EPOS EPOS, the European Plate Observing System, is a long-term plan to facilitate integrated use of data, data products, and facilities from distributed research infrastructures for solid Earth science in Europe. EPOS will bring together Earth scientists, national research infrastructures, ICT (Information & Communication Technology) experts, decision makers, and public to develop new concepts and tools for accurate, durable, and sustainable answers to societal questions concerning geo-hazards and those geodynamic phenomena (including geo-resources) relevant to the environment and human welfare. EPOS vision is that the integration of the existing national and trans-national research infrastructures will increase access and use of the multidisciplinary data recorded by the solid Earth monitoring networks, acquired in laboratory experiments and/or produced by computational simulations. The establishment of EPOS will foster worldwide interoperability in the Earth sciences and services to a broad community of users. EPOS mission is to integrate the diverse and advanced European Research Infrastructures for solid Earth science, and build on new e-science opportunities to monitor and understand the dynamic and complex solid-Earth System. EPOS will identify existing gaps and promote implementation plans with environmental, marine and space science to help solve the grand challenges facing the Earth and its inhabitants.