<p>CO₂ injectivity and storage efficiency have long been important topics for geological CO₂ storage (GCS), in which layered heterogeneity and CO₂ injection rate play a significant role. To assess the optimization of the CO₂ injection rate in a layered heterogeneous reservoir, we established a radial model using TOUGH2 to simulate the CO₂ plume and injection amount based on the layered heterogeneity condition of the Shenhua carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration site in China. The results demonstrate that the larger increasing injection rate tolerance (IRT) causes the wider distribution range of pressure, which is larger under the reserve rhythm condition than under the positive rhythm condition, exhibiting a positive correlation. Elevated injection rates substantially enhance CO₂ plume migration. The fraction of the injected CO₂ amount in SQF01 to total injection amount ranges from 4.64 to 8.22% under homogeneous rhythm conditions. This decreases with increasing positive rhythm and decreasing reserve rhythm. For homogeneous rhythm, the gas-phase CO₂ fraction demonstrates a positive correlation with increasing IRT but an inverse relationship with decreasing IRT. By contrast, the dissolved-phase CO₂ proportion displays the opposing trend. These findings can establish a basis for selecting suitable GCS sites and optimizing injection strategies, and provide a useful literature in the similar study.</p>