SESAME Project

Context and challenges

So far, the limited development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) reflects the constraints of techno-marketing solutions in convincing broader audiences of the benefits of this technology. CO₂ storage was brought into the public eye at a late stage of development and was discussed primarily through specific projects rather than as a new technology to address climate change. Although political support has increased through R&D funding and roadmaps, CCS has never been widely debated publicly as a solution to climate change and has remained largely confined to expert circles.

The newly revised French low-carbon national strategy (SNBC) sets a target of 15 million tonnes of CO₂ captured and stored per year by 2050, with a portion of this volume potentially stored onshore. Even though this numerical target remains modest, it is already anticipated that the implementation of CO₂ storage projects will raise numerous societal questions from stakeholders regarding the risks of accidents or environmental degradation, associated nuisances potentially affecting the quality of life of local residents, the relevance of a specific project in the context of the energy transition of a region, and more generally, the legitimacy of such a technological choice for France. Some of these issues could become grounds for opposition and challenge the feasibility of reaching these objectives.

The deployment of a CO₂ storage technology in a given social environment must indeed be examined across multiple dimensions: a political dimension, as it involves decisions by elected officials; an economic dimension, as it impacts local employment and is driven by actors seeking to create value; a social dimension, from the perspective of citizens and NGOs who must be convinced of the safety and usefulness of a storage site; a technical dimension, as the feasibility, operability, and long-term safety of the technology must be ensured; an ecological dimension, as its environmental impact must be controlled; and a legal dimension, since this technology falls within a regulatory framework—the Mining Code, currently under reform, and the Environmental Code.