British Geological Survey (BGS) has released a briefing note on the UK’s underground hydrogen storage potential – an emerging technology set to be crucial to reaching net zero.
Setting the scene, the BGS explained that with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind increasing their market share, the need for reliable, long-duration energy storage solutions will grow more pressing, balancing supply and demand. Hydrogen has great potential to be an effective energy carrier, while also decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors.
The likes of salt caverns, lined rock caverns and deployed hydrocarbon fields all offer scalable and long duration hydrogen storage options, but require significant initial investment and specific geological conditions. With the UK’s energy storage system holding some of the lowest levels of gas storage in Europe at 12 days, on average, with estimates for the hydrogen storage needed for net zero in 2050 five times greater than this. However, pulling it off will call for overcoming “considerable knowledge gaps”.
To do this, the BGS is recommending implementing more demonstration projects to build in situ technical capability, address market barriers and promote wider hydrogen adoption; integrate hydrogen storage into the UK’s energy strategy through comprehensive planning and supportive regulatory frameworks; and invest in research and development to rapidly expand knowledge in the hydrogen storage technologies deemed essential for meeting clean energy targets.
Summing things up, Dr Tim Armitage, BGS Geoscientist, said: “The successful integration of hydrogen storage is key to stabilising the grid and ensuring a reliable hydrogen supply to meet the UK’s climate targets. However, while technology holds great promise, significant investment, research and development are required to address technical and regulatory challenges and the success of large-scale deployment depends on overcoming geological, regulatory and commercial challenges.”
