Advocating for Hidden Hydrogen Reserves in the U.K.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) has released a briefing note highlighting the importance of investing in hydrogen storage to meet the UK's clean energy targets and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The note underscores the crucial role of hydrogen storage in grid stability, a reliable hydrogen supply, and the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors like shipping and heavy industry.
However, the path to large-scale underground hydrogen storage in the UK is not without challenges. The UK's energy storage system currently holds some of the lowest levels of gas storage in Europe, at 12 days average. This limited capacity, coupled with the need for hydrogen infrastructure to scale up significantly beyond current gas storage levels, presents a significant hurdle.
The briefing note identifies several key challenges. Infrastructure development and integration, regulatory framework adaptation, and technical and safety concerns are all areas requiring attention. Developing an integrated, resilient hydrogen transport and storage network, ensuring pipelines and storage sites can safely and economically handle hydrogen, and adapting existing natural gas frameworks to hydrogen are all complex tasks.
Hydrogen’s physical properties, such as its small molecular size and the risk of embrittlement for metals, demand advanced materials and monitoring systems for underground storage, especially for large-scale salt caverns or depleted gas fields. These technical challenges require innovation and rigorous safety standards.
Despite these challenges, the UK is taking steps to address them. The government supports projects like hydrogen villages to demonstrate hydrogen use at community scales and build supply chains. Plans to create 100% hydrogen pipeline networks linked with large-scale underground storage sites are underway, and consultation on hydrogen economic regulatory frameworks aims to establish balancing responsibilities and promote cost-effective network growth.
Innovations like swappable high-pressure hydrogen tanks for transport indicate parallel progress in modular hydrogen storage concepts, which could complement large-scale underground storage by easing distribution and vehicle refueling infrastructure.
Dr Tim Armitage, BGS Geoscientist and author of the briefing note, advocates for the integration of hydrogen storage into the UK's energy strategy through comprehensive planning and supportive regulatory frameworks. The BGS briefing note, titled 'Underground hydrogen storage: insights and actions to support the energy transition', communicates the latest scientific research on underground hydrogen storage.
The note also recommends implementing more demonstration projects to build in-situ technical capability, address market barriers, and promote wider hydrogen adoption. Additionally, investing in research and development is crucial to rapidly expand knowledge in the hydrogen storage technologies essential for meeting clean energy targets.
In conclusion, while the UK's large-scale underground hydrogen storage efforts face capacity limitations, infrastructure complexity, regulatory adaptation, and technical challenges, they are supported by evolving regulatory frameworks, demonstration projects, and innovations in storage and transport solutions. These efforts are key to enabling a hydrogen economy component needed for net zero by 2050.
- The British Geological Survey's briefing note emphasizes the significance of investing in hydrogen storage, as it plays a vital role in meeting the UK's clean energy targets and achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
- One of the key challenges in implementing large-scale underground hydrogen storage in the UK is the need for hydrogen infrastructure to scale up beyond current gas storage levels, which has remained low due to limited capacity.
- In order to overcome the challenges, the UK government is supporting projects like hydrogen villages, creating 100% hydrogen pipeline networks, and consulting on hydrogen economic regulatory frameworks to promote cost-effective network growth.
- To rapidly expand knowledge in hydrogen storage technologies and address market barriers, implementing more demonstration projects and investing in research and development is crucial, as recommended by the BGS briefing note.
