The next stage of funding has been awarded for a project exploring the hydrogen storage potential in the East Midlands.
The East Midlands Storage (EMStor) consortium, featuring Cadent, British Geological Survey, Edinburgh University and Start Energy Group has now been joined by Centrica Storage, Uniper and National Gas as they look to push on forwards with strategic innovation funding from Ofgem in this alpha phase, helping them to build on work delivered during the earlier discovery phase.
In that discovery phase, a range of different geological storage options were assessed in the East Midlands. This saw storage in repurposed onshore hydrocarbon fields identified as the leading option, with the discovery phase also uncovering that hydrogen storage is a vital component to any future hydrogen system in the East Midlands, ensuring energy security, resilience and affordability.
Through the alpha phase, the partners will work to further develop knowledge by advancing understanding of decisions on next steps and future phasing, the public perception of hydrogen storage, technical aspects of underground hydrogen storage, including geological feasibility and well-integrity assessment, and approaches to regulatory, permitting and planning for potential demonstration.
A dissemination event is set to be held in spring 2025, detailing findings and outlining next steps.
Head of Regional Development at Cadent, Sally Brewis, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this funding so that we can continue to break new ground in onshore hydrogen storage. The ultimate aim is to increase the technology readiness level of storage of hydrogen in disused hydrocarbon fields by demonstrating that it works, by 2030. Local geological stores of hydrogen in the East Midlands will allow a much more rapid deployment of our hydrogen pipeline network and mean that more customers can switch away from natural gas and decarbonise more quickly.”
