The University of Aberdeen is developing a green hydrogen storage technology, which would allow renewable energy to be captured in depleted oil and gas reservoirs.
The technology, which the researchers are calling a “bank”, could complement the booming Scottish wind industry by capturing the intermittent renewable energy source in the form of green hydrogen, a clean energy carrier.
It could also support Scotland’s lofty green hydrogen aspirations, with the nation aiming to become a “hydrogen powerhouse” with mass exports to continental Europe.
This goal has already seen progress made towards the ‘Hydrogen Backbone Link’, a project to connect Scotland directly to Germany via a marine pipeline. Doing so could allow Scotland to meet up to 10% of Europe’s projected hydrogen import demand by the mid 2030s.
The research being conducted by the University of Aberdeen scientists directly connects to the Hydrogen Backbone Link by providing a “new lease of life” for oil and gas pipelines as well as the infrastructure surrounding them.
The first phase of the project is currently underway and is using a combination of modelling, simulation and laboratory experimentation to evaluate the most effective means of transporting hydrogen through the onshore and offshore North Sea pipeline network, the university said.
Following this, the second phase will focus on field trials and commercialisation through the potential formation of a spin-out company to drive forward the technology.
“This target relies on there being sufficient hydrogen storage capacity which only subsurface geological formations such as depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs or aquifers can deliver on such a large TeraWatt (TWh) scale,” said Dr Prashant Jadhawar from the University of Aberdeen’s School of Engineering.
“Through our current research we have estimated up to a 20TWh hydrogen storage capacity, as well as the permanent sequestration of 50 million tons of CO2 in a single UKCS reservoir investigated so far.
“By offering the safe and effective storage of bulk quantities of hydrogen and CO2, our project offers a unique opportunity to help Scotland meet its hydrogen production targets as well as offering the potential for Scotland to become a net exporter of hydrogen.
“It will also help extend the life of depleted oil and gas reservoirs and associated infrastructure, helping ensure a continued and important role for the North Sea in the net-zero economy.”
