On April 25, École Normale Supérieure (ENS-PSL) officially announced the creation of a new research chair dedicated to carbon storage in soils and subsoils, also known as Carbon Capture. The chair is sponsored by Ardian, one of the world’s leading private equity firms. This initiative inaugurates a six-year partnership during which Ardian will support the cutting-edge research of the Geology Laboratory, part of the Geosciences Department at ENS-PSL. The main objective of this chair is to gain a deeper understanding of carbon storage mechanisms in the subsoil and soils, a key issue in the fight against global warming. In the current context, where solutions are being actively sought to mitigate the effects of global warming, the Chair will focus on studying the potential impacts of injecting CO2 into soils.
“The Ardian Chair at ENS will bring together researchers from two of the laboratory’s teams, to address two main themes. Concerning geological sequestration, our aim is to deepen our understanding of the impacts of CO2 injection on the geological host rock, specifically by studying its hydromechanical behavior and acoustic signature. Furthermore, with regard to organic carbon in soils, we are seeking to better understand the sensitivity of soil carbon mineralization, following changes in environmental conditions.”
Dominique Senequier, Chairman and Founder of Ardian, commented: “Carbon capture and storage is essential to our ecological transition. Nevertheless, a few technical challenges remain to ensure safe, sustainable and competitive storage and enable this sector to develop. Fundamental research therefore plays a key role. The creation of the Ardian Chair in Carbon Storage enables us to help promote the excellence and dynamism of French research in this strategic field, and to contribute to French and European sovereignty and competitiveness in the future”.
Jérôme Fortin, CNRS Research Director at the Geology Laboratory of ENS-PSL, and Director of this new Chair, outlined the objectives and ambitions of the Ardian Chair:
The launch event, held at École normale supérieure in Paris, also featured high-level scientific presentations to further explore the theme of the Chair. Laurent Bopp, Director of Research at CNRS and Professor at ENS-PSL, presented his research on climate objectives and compatible carbon trajectories. Jérôme Fortin then shed light on geological carbon storage mechanisms. The series of presentations concluded with Pierre Barré, Director of Research at CNRS and member of the Geology Laboratory at ENS-PSL, questioning the potential for carbon storage in soils. The Ardian research chair on soil carbon storage will be the 14th research chair at ENS-PSL.