GEOINSPIRE – Sources of inspiration for the energy transition

*** GEOINSPIRE – Production abiotique d’H2/CH4 et séparation des métaux dans le milieu naturel : Des sources d’inspiration pour la transition énergétique.

Duration : 2013 - 2015
Contact at ISTerre : Fabrice Brunet
ISTerre team involved : Mineralogy & Environments
Origin of funding : CNRS Interdisciplinary Program - ENRS Challenge (Energy Transition : Resources, Society, Environment)
Partners : Nicolas Roche (M2P2, INSIS) ; Nadir Recham (LRCS, IC) ; Isabelle Martinez (IPGP, INSU) ; Laurence Raineau-Facchini (CETCOPRA, SHS) ; Julien Dairou (BFA, INSB).
Collaborations : Jean-Henri Ferrasse (M2P2, Aix-Marseille) ; Vincent Milesi (Paris VII) ; Anne Verlaguet (ISTeP, Paris) ; Stéphane Schwartz et Olivier Vidal (ISTerre)

**Summary

In terms of energy, the natural environment is often considered in terms of resources. However, the diversity of physico-chemical processes that occur naturally in the Earth’s crust can also be a source of inspiration for identifying new paths to energy transition. This is typically the case for the abiotic production of hydrogen (and methane) and the natural separation, under hydrothermal conditions, of certain chemical species contained in rocks. The objective here is to study, in the laboratory, the physico-chemical processes involved and to optimize them with a view to recovering industrial and household waste. The project has three main components :

1) abiotic hydrogen production, which has already been the subject of two theses at ISTerre (C. Marcaillou ; B. Malvoisin), several publications and a patent application by the CNRS.

2) The production of hydrocarbon molecules in the H2 - CO2 system : characterization of reaction paths and catalysis.

3) The separation of metals by soft chemistry.

Two institutes of Earth Sciences (ISTerre, Grenoble & IPGP, Paris) study the physico-chemistry of fluid - rock interactions in the natural environment (and in the laboratory). M2P2 (Aix-en-Provence) contributes to the project through its knowledge of the physico-chemistry of anthropogenic waste and the transition from laboratory experiments to demonstrators. The LRCS (Lille) is involved in particular in the synthesis of similar materials of controlled size and composition. The analysis of organic compounds in solution is carried out at the BFA (Paris), the gases are analysed at the ISTerre and the IPGP (isotopy). This collaborative research experience will be "observed" by researchers from CETCOPRA (Paris).

Acknowledgements
This project is also supported by AGIR 2013 (Grenoble 1 University) and ISTerre through its 2012 internal BQR program. Benjamin Malvoisin and Vincent Milesi are particularly thanked for their stimulating research work, which has been at the origin of part of this project.