Sustainability in energy storages - How modern geoscience concepts can improve underground storage monitoring

The reuse of large-volume salt caverns for the intermediate storage of liquid and gaseous energy carriers is an indispensable step on the way to a sustainable energy economy. Continuous development of methods for monitoring these facilities is a crucial part of the social license to operate. In the research project "Monitoring system for the safety of cavern storage facilities using satellite and unmanned aerial system (UAS) data (KaMonSys)”, safety solutions for critical infrastructures are implemented in an interdisciplinary approach of remote sensing and geoscientific methods. Using underground storage facilities (USF) as an example, multisensory approaches are being developed to monitor the facilities as well as their surroundings by satellite and UAS-based monitoring to detect possible emissions, such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

The first project stage shows the initial evaluation of available spatial data (INSPIRE) and such of project partners Uniper and SGW on the surface/subsurface situation. The integrated development leads to a 3D GIS for the spatiotemporal data evaluation. This is the basis to evaluate data and its usage for the development of 3D UAS flights.

Coupling classical geological methods of subsurface assessment with innovative approaches from remote sensing shows a huge potential for further research.