Project CO2NET EAST

CO2NET EAST is a coordination action started within the 6th EU Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities and co-funded by the EC in 2006-2009. From October 2009, the project is funded by own resources of the participants and by industrial sponsors. The main goal of the project is to extend the existing European CO2 capture and storage (CCS) networking activities to new EU Member States and Associated Candidate Countries. The detailed objectives of CO2NET EAST are: • to provide membership support to CO2NET (Carbon Dioxide Knowledge Sharing Network) member organisations from EU new Member States and Associated Candidate Countries and enable them active participation in networking activities; • to co-organise the CO2NET Annual Seminar in 2008 and organise 2 regional workshops in new Member States and/or Associated Candidate Countries (2007 and 2009); • to disseminate knowledge and increase awareness of CO2 capture and storage technologies in new Member States and Associated Candidate Countries during the whole project duration and afterwards; • to establish links among CCS stakeholders in new Member States and Associated Candidate Countries and between them and their partners in other EU countries using the existing networks, especially CO2NET and ENeRG (European Network for Research in Geo-Energy) as well as links with the European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants. A consortium of 8 R&D institutions from new EU Member States and Associated Candidate Countries + Statoil as the industry partner has been formed to implement the project.

Consortium partners: • Czech Geological Survey (Czech Republic) – project coordinator • University of Zagreb - Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering (Croatia) • Eötvös Loránd Geophysical Institute of Hungary – ELGI (Hungary) • Dionýz Štúr State Geological Institute (Slovakia) • Institute of Geology at Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia) • Geophysical Exploration Company – PBG (Poland) • National Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology – GeoEcoMar (Romania) • Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’ (Bulgaria) • Statoil ASA (Norway) In 2006-2009, the European Community provided the main part of project budget. In addition, several industrial sponsors supported CO2NET EAST by providing a contribution to the project Support Fund: • Shell International Renewables, Statoil, Schlumberger Carbon Services, Norsk Hydro, Enel, Vattenfall (main sponsors) • Alstom Power, Total, BP (sponsors) In the period 2009-2010, CO2NET EAST is sponsored by Schlumberger, Statoil, Enel, Technology Initiatives, ALSTOM and Vattenfall. CO2NET EAST was launched on 1 October 2006 and the first, EC-funded period lasted for 3 years. The second project period started on 1 October 2009 and will last until September 2010.