Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, has today announced it will support the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS-PSL) by sponsoring the creation of a new research Chair dedicated to carbon storage in soils and subsoils, also known as carbon capture.

Over the six-year partnership, Ardian will support in-depth research by the university’s Geology Laboratory, which is part of the Geosciences Department at ENS-PSL. Research chairs are academic structures that enable a higher education and research establishment to mobilize resources and expertise in specific fields of study and innovation. The Ardian research Chair on soil carbon storage will be ENS-PSL’s 14th research Chair.

In a period where solutions are being actively sought to reduce the effects of global warming, carbon capture is a critical factor in the fight against climate change. The main objective of this Chair is to focus on studying the potential impacts of injecting and storing CO2 in soils and subsoil.

“Carbon capture and storage is a fundamental factor of the ecological transition. Nevertheless, we still face a significant number of challenges to guarantee a safe, sustainable and competitive storage solution, and allow the industry to expand. Fundamental research therefore has a key role to play. With the creation of Ardian’s Chair in Carbon Storage, we will be contributing to the development of the excellence and dynamism of French research in this strategic field, and tomorrow’s French and European sovereignty and competitiveness.” Dominique Senequier, CEO and Founder of Ardian

“The Ardian Chair at ENS will bring together researchers from two teams of the laboratory to address two main themes. Firstly, on 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 properties and acoustic signature. Secondly, focusing on organic carbon in soils, we are seeking to gain a better understanding of the soil carbon mineralization sensitivity to changes in environmental conditions.” Jerome Fortin, CNRS Research Director at ENS-PSL’s geology laboratory  and Director of this new Chair

The launch event, held at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, was honored by 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 explained the mechanisms of geological carbon storage. The presentation series concluded with a speech by Pierre Barré, Director of Research at CNRS and member of the Geology Laboratory at ENS-PSL, who discussed the potential of carbon storage in soils.

Financed by private sponsors, research Chairs offer substantial support for the development of advanced research projects. They also help strengthen bonds between the academic world and business, enhancing student training and supporting scientific progress and knowledge sharing.