While CCS in saline aquifers offers significant climate benefits by reducing atmospheric CO2, the process triggers complex hydrogeological changes, especially brine displacement.

Brine, often containing high levels of salt and dissolved metals, can migrate and surface, posing risks to groundwater, agriculture, and biodiversity.

Operators face mounting regulatory scrutiny and public concern, yet lack robust, cost-effective solutions to monitor, treat, and manage brine streams.

This tension between climate mitigation and environmental side effects leaves stakeholders in a catch-22: mitigate emissions or protect local environments—but rarely both.

The root of the challenge lies in the unpredictable movement and composition of brine, variation between locations, insufficient real-time monitoring infrastructure, and a lack of scalable treatment technologies.

Regulatory uncertainty and fragmented accountability further hinder innovation and investment in brine risk management.

Current practices rely on rudimentary brine removal and disposal techniques, basic groundwater monitoring, and reactive (rather than predictive) environmental management.

These are expensive, patchwork solutions that lack integration, scalability, or advanced warning capabilities.