micro-Organisms and Reactivity of HYdrOgeN in underground – ORHYON

The scientific program of the ORHYON chair focuses on the characterization of the behavior of hydrogen in the subsurface. It is structured in three scientific tasks (Tasks 1 to 3):

- the first will focus on deep environments, approached by building model systems and numerical simulation,

- the second will characterize the biological and geochemical markers of H2 systems by studying natural analogues,

- the third will provide an integrated and large-scale response by creating a model regional reactive flow.

Due to the pandemic period, the chair is a year late. The first PhD student was recruited in October 2021 and the first post-doctoral student in February 2022. The sampling campaigns have started and the samples are being processed.

The objective of UPPA, IFPEN and Engie is to develop understanding of the behavior of H2 in the subsurface with a view to commercial exploitation of underground H2 storage and production of H2 natural, these two components allowing an acceleration of the large-scale development of H2 as
source and storage of low-carbon energy and contributing to the energy transition.

Not yet

Hydrogen (H2) is the smallest molecule and it is a very promising resource as its combustion only produces water and releases huge amount of energy. Nowadays, H2 is mainly obtained by hydrocarbon reforming and this process leads to CO2 production. H2 can also be generated by water electrolysis using the excess of energy produced by renewables. It can then be transported and stored in large amounts into underground natural reservoirs, such as aquifers and depleted hydrocarbon fields. Although quantities remain to be determined, H2 is also produced as a geological resource from natural emissions. H2 can thus be both an energy vector and a resource and, as such, plays a central part in Engie’s R&D strategy.

The ORHYON industrial chair is based on the complementary strengths of Engie, UPPA and IFPEN to lead the way towards competitive sustainable hydrogen solutions. This project, in line with the partners activities, will focus on H2 mobility and bio-chemical reactivity in natural porous media, from deep environments to surface.

The chair will run for four years, and will be carried by Anthony Ranchou-Peyruse, specialist of deep subsurface microbiology in UPPA-IPREM. The project will be organized in three scientific work packages (WP) :
- the first WP will focus on deep environments, using representative microbial consortia and numerical simulations to model them,
- the second WP will look for biological and geochemical indicators of H2-rich systems by studying natural analogues,
- the third one, integrating the results of the other WPs, will consist in building a large-scale numerical model of the H2 reactive flow in a sedimentary basin.

Six PhD students and post-doctoral researchers will be recruited for these WPs. Data necessary for these tasks will be mostly acquired in the Sao Francisco basin, a natural analogue located in the Minas Gerais state in Brazil, where natural H2 emissions have been detected. The ORHYON chair represents an essential link in a set of studies recently launched by Engie in this area.

In a concrete way, the results provided by this project will lead to a better understanding of the processes controlling H2 migration and retention in geological formations, but also to new tools and methodologies to reduce the risks associated with geological storage, to precise the potential of H2 as an energetic resource and provide technical guidance for its exploration and production. Benefits for the scientific community will come as publications and presentations during conferences, dedicated courses in UPPA’s masters and IFP School’s modules by the researchers associated to this chair, and a workshop organized at IFPEN at the end of the project.

The proposed approach is innovative, multidisciplinary, and combine field observations, laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. It will benefit from the scientific excellence in the domains of microbiology, geology, geochemistry, numerical modeling of the research institutes participating to this chair supported by Engie, its CRIGEN research center and subsidiaries. In the continuity of previous common works on this thematic, the ORHYON chair occupies a central part in the scientific roadmap between UPPA, IFPEN and Engie to build a long-term collaborative research focused on H2 and subsurface.