REMAIN: REMote Activation of geological INterface

For a sustainable, carbon-neutral future, subsurface engineering applications offer promising solutions such as enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) or underground energy storage. When storing or extracting energy in the subsurface, it is essential to ensure environmental safety - such as caprock integrity or induced seismicity - which requires predictive capabilities regarding how fluids like water, supercritical CO2, and hydrogen interact with rock formations. These fluids can create complex fracture networks, which are crucial for improving heat extraction in EGS and ensuring the safe storage of energy. However, they can also trigger seismic events, which have led to the early termination of some EGS projects. The joint project aims to unravel the underlying mechanisms and develop new models to predict how fractures nucleate and propagate and how fault instability initiates under the realistic high-pressure and high-temperature conditions of the subsurface, where fluid and rock behave differently. Through collaboration with researchers in Japan, we combine advanced laboratory experiments with cutting-edge numerical simulations to optimize fluid injection techniques, maximizing energy extraction while minimizing environmental risks such as induced seismicity. The findings could lead to safer and more efficient geothermal energy production and improved underground storage solutions for clean energy, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change and transition to renewable energy sources.