Uniper launch hydrogen research project

For this purpose, a specialised gas-technical unit for the storage test was set up on a designated drilling site at Uniper Energy Storage's Bierwang site in Germany. Commissioning is currently in progress and the first hydrogen will be injected from September onwards.

Uniper Energy Storage is the consortium leader, operator and responsible for the test under mining law. The consortium further consists of the companies OGE, RAG Austria, SEFE Securing Energy for Europe and NAFTA, which contribute their expertise, and is also supported by interdisciplinary partners from industry and science. The project has been approved by the Southern Bavarian Mining Authority.

The storage test intends to inject different methane-hydrogen gas mixtures with 5%, 10% and 25% hydrogen content in the natural gas into a smaller former natural gas reservoir in three operating phases and to withdraw it again after a standstill period of about three months. The storage horizon is independent of the existing Bierwang natural gas storage facility.

Doug Waters, Managing Director of Uniper Energy Storage, said: "Hydrogen plays a crucial role in our new strategy and HyStorage is part of its execution. HyStorage is a promising project to test the existing natural gas infrastructure for the potential transition to green hydrogen. It will also help accelerate the energy transition while ensuring security of supply to our customers. The project will provide insights into how porous rock storage and technical gas facilities will perform when the hydrogen economy ramps up. The demand for storage capacity will grow as renewables expand and real-life data is needed to make informed decisions. Porous rock storage not only holds tremendous potential to provide flexibility for the emerging hydrogen market, but also to connect to European hydrogen corridors."

Hydrogen is becoming an essential element for the decarbonisation of the European energy market. It can be assumed that in addition to the operation of pure hydrogen pipelines, the share of hydrogen in the natural gas grid will also increase and thus reach the underground gas storage facilities. Porous rock storage facilities can also provide a large-volume conversion and storage solution for volatile renewable energies.

For hydrogen storage in porous rock reservoirs, an individual investigation of the sites is required. The expertise of the project partners and the scientific support of the test ensure that the collected data is fully analysed and evaluated so that reliable technical assessments for the storage of hydrogen in porous rock formations can be expected as early as 2024.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/11082023/uniper-launch-hydrogen-research-project/