Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre project: hydrogen storage in porous media: pre- and post-batch experiment assessment of borehole samples

Rochelle, C.A.; Liddy, T.; Rushton, J.C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5931-7537; Kemp, S.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4604-0927; Pearson, M.; Gregory, S.; Mackie, J.; Cripps, C.; Haslam, R.B.; Williams, P.J.; Ma, L.; Braid, H.; Taylor, K.G.; Hough, E.. 2023 Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre project: hydrogen storage in porous media: pre- and post-batch experiment assessment of borehole samples. Nottingham, UK, British Geological Survey, 128pp. (OR/23/022) (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

The storage of large amounts of energy is recognised as an important part of meeting low-carbon ambitions. Energy- in the form of thermal (heat and cool), mechanical (pressure, motion) and chemical, (e.g., methane, hydrogen), can be released over various timescales, although many forms of geological storage are more suitable for “Long-Duration” energy storage. This means that discharge times will typically vary from a few days to seasons, allowing geological storage to contribute to effective energy management in response to fluctuating demand and supply at those timescales. Hydrogen is one of the longer-term energy solutions, and can allow the transport, storage and use of energy that is derived from other sources (e.g., reformation of methane). There are several large concentrations of industry (so-called ‘industrial clusters’) that account for a significant proportion of the UK CO2 emissions (see https://idric.org/), and these areas are likely early adopters to reduce emissions using hydrogen. The storage of hydrogen will be a critical part of the supply chain required to reduce carbon emissions, and geological storage – in bedrock layers deep underground – can accommodate the large volumes of hydrogen that will be needed for industrial-scale use. Current options for the geological storage of hydrogen include pumping the gas into large holes dissolved into naturally occurring beds of rock salt underground. However, these are limited by the distribution of suitable accumulations of rock salt, meaning this ‘cavern storage’ is not possible everywhere in the UK (notably industrial clusters at the Black Country, South Wales and Grangemouth in east Scotland). Storage of hydrogen in porous rocks (where gas is stored in the tiny spaces between individual grains of sand that make up sandstone) may give an alternative option to cavern storage when located close to industrial areas. However, hydrogen storage is not commercially employed in porous rocks anywhere in the world, and there are processes including geochemical and microbial reactions in the rocks that can be enhanced in the presence of hydrogen which means concerns have been raised relating to containment and contamination of the stored hydrogen. Consequently, to support the uptake of porous storage, there is an urgent need to understand the behaviour of these rocks in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency. Laboratory-based experiments that address these questions could increase investor confidence and move porous storage potential beyond proof-of-concept. In response to this need, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has recently completed a collaboration with the University of Manchester to investigate the behaviour of hydrogen in the laboratory using samples of porous rocks that may be considered for future storage. Experiments targeted two of the principal water producing rocks (aquifers) in the UK - the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone and Cretaceous Lower Greensand which underlie large areas of England (see figure below). Results of the laboratory experiments found no major changes to rock structure or composition following exposure to hydrogen at elevated temperatures and pressures. Some of the subtle changes observed could be attributed to tolerances in the analytical techniques used, and it is also possible that the experimental design itself may have contributed to some or all of the changes observed. While this study did not identify major changes in rock samples, there remains the possibility for geochemical reactions or microbial growth in rocks with different compositions. Full details of the research, including a downloadable research report and slide pack are available from the project website: https://idric.org/project/mip-7-4/; general information regarding the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre is available here: https://idric.org/. In the images above we have mapped two principal aquifers that may be suitable in some areas for the underground storage of hydrogen (the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone- left, and Cretaceous Lower Greensand- right) (Figure 1). The upper surface of both rock units has been interrogated to identify natural closures that may represent areas of structural closure that may represent potential storage areas suitable for further exploration. A depth cut-off has not been applied to these areas, although it is acknowledged that some closures are shallower than 100 m and may therefore be technically or commercially unsuitable for storage.

Item Type:	Publication - Report
Funders/Sponsors:	British Geological Survey, University of Manchester
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	This item has been internally reviewed, but not externally peer-reviewed.
Related URLs:	Project Website
Date made live:	17 Jan 2025 16:19 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538760

Item Type:

Publication - Report

Funders/Sponsors:

British Geological Survey, University of Manchester

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

This item has been internally reviewed, but not externally peer-reviewed.

Related URLs: