Welcome word

The world climate is changing more rapidly than expected, caused by the increasing use of fossil fuels for energy production. A rapid growth in renewable energy supply is needed urgently as coal power has to be switched to gas and renewables. An additional needed procedure is the decarbonisation of the industry using Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). All options have to be applied simultaneously, to finally have a chance at stopping the increase of CO₂ production. The usage of the earth’s subsurface plays a pivotal role for most of the technologies, which contribute to slow down the greenhouse effect. Adjusted Geosciences are needed to ensure a safe and environmentally friendly handling of the subsurface.

The targeted storage of CO₂ in safe subsurface formations has been demonstrated in many projects. Besides the development of accurate measuring, monitoring and verification technologies, an integrated risk assessment is needed, to ensure the safety of potential storage sites and to address the legitimate concerns of the local communities about this technology. 

Many renewable energy sources, notably solar and wind, produce variable power. Large-scale energy storage systems need to be provided to level out the imbalances between supply and demand that this causes. Technologies include pumped-storage hydroelectric dams, thermal storage including molten salts, compressed air and electric energy converted into gas (hydrogen, methane) with stockage in natural geological formations, in gas distribution networks or in artificial salt caverns. 

Geothermal energy has the potential to play a substantial role in the future energy system as the resource provides a baseload power supply and is, more importantly, increasingly being targeted as a solution to decarbonise the heating and cooling sector. Mapping, quantifying and derisking the geothermal reserves and resources in place remains of utmost importance as are focused efforts to optimise production strategies, mitigate production risks and improve performance of geothermal assets in both the exploration and the exploitation stages. Future geoscientists will be required to skilfully use both their subsurface knowledge for derisking purposes as their ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders involved in the geothermal value chain.

The 1^st Geoscience & Engineering in Energy Transition Conference (GET) will address what skills and what technologies are required to support the growth of renewable energy in the energy mix. Furthermore, it gives a forum to exchange the knowledge about geothermal, CCS, energy storage and cross disciplines like hazardous (nuclear) waste storage, hydrogen/methane production and storage, geochemistry applications, risk and environmental impact analysis, offshore wind energy (turbine placement, engineering challenges, re-use of O&G platforms), etc. 

Therefore, GET addresses all geoscientists, subsurface engineers, energy providers, the industrial sector, researchers and academics, public authorities and other stakeholders in Europe and beyond to submit an abstract and join this new and groundbreaking conference.

Dirk Orlowsky (Co-chair)
DMT

Giovanni Sosio (Co-chair)
Schlumberger

Peter Suess (Co-chair) 
Wintershall