Pioneer Fellow Edoardo Pezzulli is developing software that makes it possible to continuously monitor carbon storage in the ground and reduce its risks. Now he is striving to bring his technology to market.
As the child of two mathematicians, Edoardo Pezzulli was destined to study mathematics himself. When he finished, he wondered what he was going to do with his degree. "Definitely something practical," says Pezzulli decisively. He had already encountered carbon storage during his Master’s, and a study at the time had opened his eyes to the fact that his mathematical knowledge could be useful in reducing CO2 emissions. Since then, Pezzulli has focused more on fluid dynamics and geothermal energy and came to ETH Zurich eight years ago to complete his doctoral studies under Thomas Driesner. A year and a half ago, the Italian mathematician was awarded a Pioneer Fellow scholarship. "Thanks to this, I was able to further develop my idea of monitoring software for carbon storage," says Pezzulli gratefully.
The courage to break new ground
The entire carbon capture and storage industry currently comprises around 800 facilities in various stages of development. Worldwide, around 50 of them are in operation. "It’s very exciting that so many facilities are being built right now. Carbon storage has really picked up speed in the last two years," says Pezzulli enthusiastically. This is a strong indication of the enormous potential this market has.
Risks can be limited
At present, however, Switzerland does not even have national legislation on how to deal with CO2, which the country’s current laws treat as a waste product. When it comes to underground storage, the greatest challenges are geological uncertainties. One task is to analyse how much CO2 can be injected into a particular site. The other is finding the best possible way to monitor storage to ensure that the CO2 remains sequestered. "Those who store carbon have a social responsibility," says the 31-year-old, adding: "The facilities need to be safe for generations to come. With our monitoring software system, we help to prove that the risks are limited and that it is possible to operate at the highest level of safety."
A digital image of subterranean conditions
The software developed by Pezzulli provides support for both planning and monitoring. "We combine different reservoir technologies and simulate how fluids move and how geomechanics change. The latter in particular is a key component in understanding the risks of carbon storage," says Pezzulli. His project has since evolved into a start-up named storra, with mechanical engineer Michael Liem on board as co-founder. "Our product simulates pressure, temperature and load conditions and works like a digital twin that checks the data and determines the best monitoring strategy for carbon storage," explains Pezzulli.
First pilot project in Switzerland
The software is currently still in development and should be ready in 6 to 12 months. But Pezzulli is already proud to be part of the CITru pilot and demonstration project in Trüllikon. A feasibility study is currently being conducted at the local borehole, which was drilled by Nagra, the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, to investigate the injection of CO2 into the underground. Pezzulli is responsible for the risk assessment and the development of the monitoring plan. "It’s a fantastic experience to understand the real-world practicalities and how this is affected by operational constraints," says Pezzulli.
CITru
Under the leadership of ETH Zurich, the CITru pilot and demonstration project is examining the feasibility of CO2 injection through a decommissioned borehole in the municipality of Trüllikon (ZH). It is the first project in Switzerland that aims to inject carbon dioxide underground. It is currently in the exploratory phase. If the project proves to be sufficiently safe, environmentally compatible and financially viable, the implementation phase with CO2 injection would begin in 2027 at the earliest. Even if no CO2 injection takes place, CITru will make a valuable contribution to informed decision-making.
Reducing monitoring costs by up to 80%
Pezzulli is currently looking for further pilot projects and would be delighted to collaborate with computational geomodellers, geophysicists, and computational scientists. With storra, he not only quantifies and reduces the risks of carbon storage, but also lowers its monitoring costs. Currently, these costs amount to USD 2 to 5 per tonne of CO2 stored, and storra expects to reduce them to less than USD 1. This is an argument in favour of the product, but it’s not what motivates Pezzulli. "Because what really motivates us is the actual amount of CO2 we remove from the atmosphere. If I could say we were contributing to the safe storage of several million tonnes a year, I would be happy. After all, I started Now it’s time to deliver and move forward."
Pioneer Fellowship programme
The Pioneer Fellowship is a comprehensive support programme that offers innovative thinkers the ideal conditions to begin their entrepreneurial activities. The programme is primarily aimed at doctoral students, but is also open to Master’s students and postdocs. Pioneer Fellows receive a scholarship of CHF 150,000 over 12 to 18 months, in addition to comprehensive mentoring and training. The Pioneer Fellowships are funded jointly by the ETH Foundation and ETH Zurich.
