North Sea hydrogen storage could power UK for 7 years, says new research
In the UK, Fuel Cells Works reported that the UK could store enough green hydrogen in depleted North Sea oil and gas fields to meet the country’s future electricity demands for 7 years, new research has shown.
Geologists and engineers from Durham Energy Institute (University of Durham) have, for the first time, mapped different hydrogen storage scenarios against half-hourly data on power generation and demand, using both historical data and future simulations, according to the report.
They found adding additional green hydrogen into the mix at sufficient scale would eliminate the need for gas power plants by 2040, a faster route to net zero than increasing the pace of renewables and battery storage deployment alone.
Under the scenarios mapped by the team, the hydrogen would be produced through electrolysis using excess wind and solar power, then stored underground for future use, using existing and adapted oil and gas infrastructure. This would establish ‘home grown’, large-scale, long-duration seasonal energy reserves to help the UK energy transition – with the capacity to deliver over 3500 TWh, covering the UK’s future electricity needs for 7 years, the report added.
Category: Research
