- Gasunie has revealed a partnership is in the works with STORAG ETZEL regarding a pilot project for repurposing salt caverns into hydrogen storage.
- The project is slated to be completed by 2026.
Gasunie, the Dutch gas grid operator, has revealed a partnership is in the works with STORAG ETZEL regarding a pilot project for repurposing salt caverns near Wilhelmshaven in northern Germany for hydrogen storage.
The first phase of the project, called the H2 Cavern Storage Transition (H2CAST), will have two of the existing salt caverns in Etzel, Lower Saxony, upgraded for hydrogen storage. This will be connected through a facility situated above the ground. Included in the pilot phase of the project is the installation of the two caverns by Gasunie.
The project is slated to be completed by 2026.
The cavern storage facility in Etzel is strategically located due to its connection to the German and Dutch hydrogen markets. It is also close to Gasunie’s future hydrogen network HyPerLink and the Energy-Hub Port of Wilhelmshaven.
Storag Etzel has been building, maintaining and leasing underground storage capacity for natural gas and crude oil at the site since 1971. According to the company’s website, around 4.3 billion cubic metres (1.135tr gallons) of natural gas are currently stored in 51 caverns and more than 10 million cubic metres of crude oil can be stored in another 24 caverns.
For Gasunie, participation in the project is the first step in developing hydrogen storage facilities in Germany.
“Hydrogen is going to play an important role in the future energy system, especially for making industry more sustainable. For a well-functioning hydrogen market, large-scale hydrogen storage is a crucial component. Gasunie has the ambition to develop salt caverns for hydrogen storage in both the Netherlands and Germany,” said Gasunie’s chief executive Han Fennema.
The other partners working on H2CAST Etzel include DEEP.KBB, DLR, HARTMANN Valves, SOCON and TU Clausthal.