(Groningen, Netherlands / Etzel, Germany) – The natural gas transmission system operator Gasunie is participating in the “H2 Cavern Storage Transition(H2CAST). The aim is the large-scale storage of hydrogen in the salt caverns near Etzel in the north of Lower Saxony. Gasunie will initially connect two of the salt caverns for hydrogen storage using an above-ground system. This is expected to be completed by 2026.
Consortium led by Storag Etzel
The Dutch are now joining the consortium around the mining and storage company Storag Etzel GmbH. The engineering company Deep KBB, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the mechanical engineering company Harmann Valves GmbH and the Sonar Control Kavernenvermessung GmbH (Socon) are also involved. The Chair of Geomechanics and Multiphysical Systems at Clausthal University of Technology is supporting the project scientifically.
In Etzel, experts are investigating whether the local salt domes are suitable for storing large amounts of hydrogen. © Storag Etzel / Deep KBB
Gasunie wants to develop salt caverns for hydrogen storage in both the Netherlands and Germany, said managing director Han Fennema. According to Storag Etzel boss Boris Richter, the pilot project is “a starting point for a future value chain that should enable the expansion of the international hydrogen market”.
Strategically favorable location
The project started at the beginning of 2022 with funding from the state of Lower Saxony and the Federal Ministry of Economics. The location is strategically connected to the Dutch and German hydrogen markets and is located near Gasunie's and the Hyperlink future hydrogen network Energy Hub Wilhelmshaven, said the two companies.
At the beginning of December 2022, Storag Etzel began the first leak test. © Storag Etzel
At the beginning of December, Storag Etzel began the first leak test. A total of 280 kilograms of gaseous green hydrogen was introduced into the project cavern. This first operational test in the cavern field is intended to clarify how the hydrogen behaves in comparison to the use of natural gas, which has been tried and tested for decades. “The leak test is the start of practical application research on the Etzel cavern field,” said overall project manager Carsten Reekers at the time.
Photo above
Cavern complex in Etzel. © Storag Etzel
