CESKA GEOLOGICKA SLUZBA

Their core work

The Czech Geological Survey is the Czech Republic's national geological institution, providing geoscientific data, mapping, and advisory services across subsurface resources, energy storage, and environmental geology. In H2020, they contributed specialized expertise in CO2 geological storage, underground hydrogen storage, raw materials prospecting, and geochemical analysis. Their work spans from fundamental geochemistry (isotope tracing in marine carbonates) to applied challenges like assessing shale gas environmental impacts and enabling onshore carbon capture and storage across Europe. They also participate in pan-European efforts to build shared geological information platforms and coordinate geological survey organizations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2015–2017) focused on fundamental geochemistry — isotope tracing in marine carbonates, secondary raw materials prospecting, and shale gas environmental monitoring. From 2017 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward applied geological services: pan-European geological survey coordination, raw materials training networks, Earth Observation platforms, and underground energy storage (CO2 and hydrogen). The trajectory shows a clear move from analytical science toward infrastructure-scale energy transition challenges.

They are positioning strongly in subsurface hydrogen and CO2 storage — expect continued focus on geological aspects of the energy transition and pan-European data sharing.

How they like to work

CGS has never coordinated an H2020 project, consistently joining as a participant (5 projects) or third party (4 projects), which reflects a specialist contributor role rather than a consortium leader. With 229 unique partners across 45 countries, they operate within very large European consortia — typical for CSA and ERA-NET coordination actions involving national geological surveys. This makes them a reliable, low-risk partner who brings specific geological expertise without competing for project leadership.

An exceptionally broad network spanning 229 partners in 45 countries, driven by their participation in pan-European geological coordination actions (GeoERA, e-shape). Their reach extends well beyond Central Europe, covering virtually all EU member states and associated countries.

What sets them apart

As a national geological survey, CGS brings authoritative subsurface data for Czech territory that no university or private company can replicate — geological maps, borehole records, and regulatory knowledge. Their combination of deep geochemistry skills with practical underground storage experience makes them a valuable bridge between laboratory science and field-scale energy storage deployment. For any consortium needing Central European geological expertise or access to Czech subsurface data, they are the default choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENOS
  Their largest funded project (EUR 284K) focused on enabling onshore CO2 storage in Europe with real pilot sites and field experiments — directly relevant to CCUS deployment.
• BASE-LiNE Earth
  Their second-largest grant (EUR 232K) and most scientifically distinct project — using brachiopod geochemistry to reconstruct 500 million years of ocean chemistry.
• HyStorIES
  Their most recent project (2021–2023) on underground hydrogen storage signals their strategic pivot toward the hydrogen economy and energy transition.