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Wales & West Utilities (WWU) sees the potential for “substantial” hydrogen storage within salt caverns in and around South Wales and South West England.
The gas network has identified potential locations for salt cavern development both offshore and inland.
Its head of net zero and sustainability Matt Hindle told Utility Week there was an urgent need to consider long-term storage of hydrogen regardless of decisions about its wider use in home heating.
He said: “When you look at the role gas plays today – with about three times more energy through the gas system than the electricity system annually – that storage role is going to be absolutely critical to the UK energy system in the in the future.”
Salt caverns have already been proven as suitable containers for hydrogen, with a facility in Teeside having operated since the 1970s. Tests have shown they offer low leakage rates because of the tightness of the salt rock and a high recovery efficiency. However, it is considered that further testing is needed to assess how quickly hydrogen could be injected and then extracted. The relative costs of the process compared to other solutions are also under review.
As part of a Network Innovation Allowance project launched last September, WWU has worked with Progressive Energy and the University of Edinburgh to assess the viability of salt cavern storage for hydrogen and possible locations.
Hindle said the key advantage of salt cavern is the scale it provides and the fact that it is a proven technology for the storage of gas.
The report identified no onshore salt development in South Wales but did note potential in the Somerset and Wessex basins. The development of salt in the smaller Worcester and Staffordshire basins was deemed unsuitable.
However, “significant” offshore potential was identified to the west and south west of South Wales.
The proposed onshore site, in the area of Mappowder / Winterborne Kingston, could ultimately provide 4 terrawatt hours (TWh) of capacity, with offshore locations more suited to smaller capacity of 1 TWh, the report.
The project is primarily a scoping exercise but the report points out that its findings are likely to feed into existing WWU projects such as the HyLine Cymru hydrogen network proposal. SGN and National Gas are also likely to able to draw on the research.
Hindle said: “This research will feed into our work with industrial clusters and a lot of partners, including the other networks. It’s about bringing all these different pieces of work and plans together to build on the UK hydrogen vision plan.
“We see salt cavern as one part of the mix alongside above ground, tinkered storage.
“Obviously storage at this scale hasn’t previously been a network responsibility so that’s another reason we’re keen to collaborate.”
Matt Hindle is among the speakers at Utility Week Forum on October 4-5 in London. Find out more and see the full agenda here.
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