The Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR) and the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI) announced on July 18, 2022 the selection of the second wave, operated by the National Research Agency (ANR), of exploratory priority research programs and equipment (exploratory PEPRs). Among the new PEPRs, the SOUSSOL "Subsurface, Common Good" program, dedicated to future subsurface uses, was selected.
The SOUSSOL "Subsurface, Common Good" program to develop knowledge of the French subsurface
The SOUSSOL PEPR ("Subsurface, Common Good") aims to develop knowledge of the national subsurface in a context where the need to better understand its resources and better manage usage conflicts is growing.
The underground world is indeed at the heart of energy transition issues: search for new mineral resources essential for low-carbon technologies, use of subsurface geothermal potential to replace gas heating, or even geological storage of heat, cold and gas (CO₂, hydrogen, ..). The issues of sustainable subsurface uses are multiple. Moreover, urban densification requires better consideration of the subsurface in development strategies, like construction of the future Grand Paris Express metro, Europe's largest construction site for which BRGM provides its geological knowledge.
To achieve these objectives, researchers from different disciplines will work together on a few large areas of interest in the territory to improve subsurface knowledge, co-construct usage scenarios with different stakeholders and model their impact. One aspect of the program will focus on governance and legal tools related to multiple subsurface uses.
This research program co-led by BRGM and CNRS brings together 35 institutions and laboratories. It has a budget of 71.4 million euros and should last 7 years. The co-leaders of the SOUSSOL PEPR are Pierre Nehlig (BRGM), Olivier Vidal (CNRS) and Xavier Arnaud de Sartre (CNRS).
Exploratory PEPRs: structuring research around emerging fields
Developed within the framework of the France 2030 plan intended to energize research and innovation, exploratory PEPRs target scientific or technological sectors considered emerging and for which the French State wishes to structure the researcher community.
Exploratory PEPRs result from selection by an international jury within the framework of a call launched by the National Research Agency (ANR).