The Eastern Lights consortium held its second project meeting from 8–10 September 2025 at Montpellier University, France. Hosted by CNRS, the three-day hybrid event gathered the project partners to review progress, present results from each Work Package, and plan next steps for advancing CO₂ transport, storage, and modelling technologies.
Highlights included discussions on CO₂ storage sites, integrated operations, life cycle assessment, and public engagement, as well as a field visit to the CNRS ECCSEL ERIC “ICARE” laboratory and the “SHAGAL” experimental site in Maguelone. At the ICARE Lab, researchers replicate underground conditions to study CO₂-rock interactions and refine monitoring technologies, all at pressures and temperatures comparable to real storage sites. At the SHAGAL site, small volumes of gas (nitrogen, CO2) have been injected to study monitoring strategies.
The meeting strengthened collaboration across the consortium and set the direction for the next phase of the project.
