Corrosion and Material Degradation in Geological CO2 Storage: A Critical Review
Xin Fan, Qing Hu, Y. Frank Cheng
Abstract
At present, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the only mature and commercialized technology capable of effectively and economically reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve a significant and immediate impact on the CO 2 level on Earth. Notably, long-term geological storage of captured CO 2 has emerged as a primary storage method, given its minimal impact on surface ecological environments and high level of safety. The integrity of CO 2 storage wellbores can be compromised by the corrosion of steel casings and degradation of cement in supercritical CO 2 storage environments, potentially leading to the leakage of stored CO 2 from the sites. This critical review endeavors to establish a knowledge foundation for the corrosion and materials degradation associated with geological CO 2 storage through an in-depth examination and analysis of the environments, operation, and the state-of-the-art progress in research pertaining to the topic. This article discusses the physical and chemical properties of CO 2 in its supercritical phase during injection and storage. It then introduces the principle of geological CO 2 storage, considerations in the construction of storage systems, and the unique geo–bio–chemical environment involving aqueous media and microbial communities in CO 2 storage. After a comprehensive analysis of existing knowledge on corrosion in CO 2 storage, including corrosion mechanisms , parametric effects , and corrosion rate measurements, this review identifies technical gaps and puts forward potential avenues for further research in steel corrosion within geological CO 2 storage systems.