Portrait

Exploring the Hidden Interactions that Shape Subsurface Energy Solutions

With a passion for material interactions and a background in chemistry, Nicolas Bovet bridges the gap between molecular insight and large-scale offshore challenges - advancing research in carbon and hydrogen storage one nanometer at a time.

Nicolas Bovet, a senior researcher at DTU Offshore.

Wednesday 07 January 2026

Mathias Laybourn

Mathias Andreas Ørby

As a senior researcher at DTU Offshore, Nicolas Bovet brings a unique and interdisciplinary lens to some of the most complex challenges facing the offshore energy transition. With a background rooted in materials chemistry rather than geology or reservoir engineering, Nicolas applies advanced characterisation techniques to understand how solids interact with fluids - insights that are proving crucial in fields like Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and hydrogen storage.

Originally from France, Nicolas has spent much of his academic career across Europe before settling in Denmark in 2008. After a decade at the University of Copenhagen, he joined DTU Offshore in 2019, dividing his time between research and project advisory work. While his role has since evolved, his commitment to scientific inquiry and collaboration remains constant.

“I try to bridge the gap between the molecular scale and the reservoir scale”, Nicolas explains. “Understanding what happens at the nanometer level can help prevent major issues at the 100-meter scale. That’s how we can reduce risks and improve storage efficiency”.

The core of Nicolas’ research is a curiosity about how fluids like CO2, water, or hydrogen interact with rock surfaces. Using high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, he studies these reactions to better understand how they affect reservoir stability.

While deeply scientific, his work has clear practical value - from improving injection strategies to reducing risks in CO2 storage. “It may seem abstract”, he says, “but understanding the fundamentals helps make operations safer and more efficient”.

3D imaging during injection of acidic solution in a chalk reservoir core plug. The blue growing pattern shows how dissolution of the rocks progresses through the rock. The diameter of the sample is 2.5 cm, and the experiment lasted approximately 10 hours.

Collaboration as a Cornerstone

A strong believer in collaboration, Nicolas has worked closely with both internal colleagues at DTU and external partners across Europe. He is actively involved in three CCS-related projects in collaboration with GEUS and maintains long-standing ties with DTU Physics, where part of his time and instrumentation resources are based. These partnerships enable him to contribute with a unique perspective to interdisciplinary teams; especially in bridging experimental and modelling approaches.

“The more perspectives you have, the better your outcomes”, Nicolas says. “I may not run flow simulations, but I can help the people who do by reminding them that the rock’s surface chemistry could affect everything”.

Internally, Nicolas has collaborated on surface analysis for chalk reactivity and other joint projects, often stepping in when others see the potential to deepen their work with material characterisation. “When people know what I can offer, we can create something together that’s more than the sum of its parts”, he states.

Facts

Nicolas Bovet

Nationality: French

Educational Background:

  • PhD, Physical Chemistry, University of Nottingham, 2002 - 2006
  • Master's degree, Materials Chemistry, Université Bourgogne Europe, 1996 - 2001
Position: Senior Researcher 

From Prediction to Reality

With the CCS landscape still in its early stages, much of today’s work is speculative - trying to anticipate what might happen once large-scale CO₂ injection begins. But as projects move from theory to practice over the coming years, Nicolas sees a growing role for material scientists like himself.

“Once we start injecting real volumes of CO₂ or hydrogen, we’ll finally get the data and samples we’ve been waiting for”, he says. “That’s when we can test our assumptions, improve our models, and support better decision-making”.

He’s also eager to expand into new areas like hydrogen storage, applying the same methods to new gases and challenges. Past work in well abandonment and polymer-based sealing systems further illustrates his drive to explore novel applications with tangible impact.

Contact

Nicolas Bovet

Nicolas Bovet Senior Researcher