The role of underground salt caverns for large-scale energy storage: A review and prospects

Liu, Wei; Li, Qihang; Yang, Chunhe; Shi, Xilin; Wan, Jifang; Jurado, Maria Jose; Li, Yinping; Jiang, Deyi; Chen, Jie; Qiao, Weibiao; Zhang, Xiong; Fan, Jinyang; Peng, Tianji; He, Yuxian

doi:10.1016/j.ensm.2023.103045

Cited by 21 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 241 publications

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“…Furthermore, barium (Ba 2+ ), strontium (Sr 2+ ), boron (B 3+ ), and bromide (Br − ) may also be present, albeit in minor quantities. This comprehensive identification of impurities is crucial for understanding the chemical environment within salt caverns and for assessing their suitability and safety for hydrogen storage or any other proposed uses [4,25].…”

Section: Salt Cavernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cushion Gas Consideration for Underground Hydrogen Storage

Prigmore,

Okon-Akan,

Egharevba

et al. 2024

Encyclopedia

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Due to the increasing world population and environmental considerations, there has been a tremendous interest in alternative energy sources. Hydrogen plays a major role as an energy carrier due to its environmentally benign nature. The combustion of hydrogen releases water vapor while it also has a vast industrial application in aerospace, pharmaceutical, and metallurgical industries. Although promising, hydrogen faces storage challenges. Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) presents a promising method of safely storing hydrogen. The selection of the appropriate cushion gas for UHS is a critical aspect of ensuring the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the storage system. Cushion gas plays a pivotal role in maintaining the necessary pressure within the storage reservoir, thereby enabling consistent injection and withdrawal rates of hydrogen. One of the key functions of the cushion gas is to act as a buffer, ensuring that the storage pressure remains within the desired range despite fluctuations in hydrogen demand or supply. This is achieved by alternately expanding and compressing the cushion gas during the injection and withdrawal cycles, thereby effectively regulating the overall pressure dynamics within the storage facility. Furthermore, the choice of cushion gas can have significant implications on the performance and long-term stability of the UHS system. Factors such as compatibility with hydrogen, cost-effectiveness, availability, and environmental impact must be carefully considered when selecting the most suitable cushion gas. The present study provides a comprehensive review of different types of cushion gases commonly used in UHS, including nitrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. By examining the advantages, limitations, and practical considerations associated with each option, the study aims to offer valuable insights into optimizing the performance and reliability of UHS systems. Ultimately, the successful implementation of UHS hinges not only on technological innovation but also on strategic decisions regarding cushion gas selection and management. By addressing these challenges proactively, stakeholders can unlock the full potential of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy carrier, thereby contributing to the global transition towards a low-carbon future.

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Section: Salt Cavernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cushion Gas Consideration for Underground Hydrogen Storage

Prigmore,

Okon-Akan,

Egharevba

et al. 2024

Encyclopedia

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“…Salt caverns have a proven track record for pure hydrogen storage, but there is a lack of examples of pure hydrogen storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs. However, recent field test experiments in Austria and laboratory experiments and analysis at National Labs part of the SHASTA team show promise for such storage opportunities [19,22,23,57,58].…”

Section: Techno-economic Analysis Of Innovation In Hydrogen Energy St...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunities and constraints of hydrogen energy storage systems

Dowling,

Ruggles,

Virgüez

et al. 2024

Environ. Res.: Energy

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In contrast to battery storage systems, power-to-hydrogen-to-power (P-H2-P) storage systems provide opportunities to separately optimize the costs and efficiency of the system’s charging, storage, and discharging components. The value of capital cost reduction relative to round-trip efficiency improvements of P-H2-P systems is not well understood in electricity systems with abundant curtailed power. Here, we used a macro-energy model to evaluate the sensitivity of system costs to techno-economic characteristics of P-H2-P systems in stylized wind-solar-battery electricity systems with restricted natural gas generation. Assuming current costs and current round-trip P-H2-P efficiencies, least-cost wind and solar electricity systems had large amounts of excess variable renewable generation capacity. These systems included P-H2-P in the least-cost solution, despite its low round-trip efficiency and relatively high P-H2-P power discharge costs. These electricity system costs were not highly sensitive to the efficient use of otherwise-curtailed power, but were sensitive to the capital cost of the P-H2-P power discharge component. If the capital costs of the charging and discharging components were decreased relative to generation costs, curtailment would decrease, and electricity system costs would become increasingly sensitive to improvements in the P-H2-P round-trip efficiency. These results suggest that capital cost reductions, especially in the discharge component, should be a key priority for innovation in P-H2-P systems for applications in electricity systems dominated by wind and solar generation. Analysis of underground salt cavern storage constraints in U.S.-based wind and solar scenarios suggests that ample hydrogen storage capacity could be obtained by repurposing the depleted natural gas reservoirs that are currently used for seasonal natural gas storage.

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“…Considering the small thickness of the residual salt layer on the roof of well S2, if this cavern is reconstructed in the future, it is suggested to inject water from well S3 and extract brine from well S2 to maximize the volume of the cavern and horizontal area at the side of well S2. Furthermore, effective roof protection measures, such as a cushion of oil or gas blankets, should also be implemented at the same time (Liu et al, 2023a).…”

Section: Cavern Volumementioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility assessment of solution mining and gas storage in salt caverns: a case study of the Sanshui salt mine

Yi,

Li,

Zhao

et al. 2023

Front. Energy Res.

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The Sanshui salt mine is the sole location in the Guangdong province of South China with the potential to construct a salt cavern gas storage (SCGS) facility. Nevertheless, the gas storage construction of this mine faces significant challenges due to the presence of low‒grade salt deposits and numerous interlayers. To demonstrate the feasibility and calculate the gas storage capacity in this specific mining area, two representative salt caverns within this salt mine were simulated using a self-developed cavern-building simulation program, enabling us to accurately determine their respective volumes and shapes. Herein, the findings indicate that the combined caverns possess a total mining space volume of 1,157,000 m3, with the brine space accounting for merely 291,800 m3 (representing 25.22% of the overall mining space), and an extensive sedimentary volume of 865,200 m3 is also observed (constituting approximately 74.78% of the total mining capacity). Fortunately, this study has revealed that the sediments exhibit a porosity exceeding 40% and possess favorable permeability; consequently, countermeasures have been proposed to enhance the gas storage capacity within the pore space of these caverns, and we also utilized FLAC3D software for numerical simulation calculations to compare the stability of the cavern under different conditions of sediment pore utilization by calculating the volume loss rate, cavern wall displacement deformation, and plastic zone distribution. Moreover, the proposed method is anticipated to double the caverns’ working gas volume, increasing it from 40 million m3 to nearly 80 million m3. On the other hand, the long-term stability of caverns is numerically assessed under different pore space utilization rates of the sediments. The results also indicate that the caverns’ volume shrinkage, plastic zones, and surrounding rock displacement remain within allowable limits during 30 years of gas storage operation. The primary problem in the subsequent phase lies in effectively achieving gas injection and brine removal from the pore space of sediments while devising a methodology to extend this method to other salt caverns within similar salt mine areas. Thus, this study provides theoretical and technical guidance for the establishment of gas storage in existing salt caverns in the Sanshui salt mine and in salt mines worldwide that share similar geological conditions.

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The role of underground salt caverns for large-scale energy storage: A review and prospects

Cited by 21 publications

References 241 publications

Cushion Gas Consideration for Underground Hydrogen Storage

Cushion Gas Consideration for Underground Hydrogen Storage

Opportunities and constraints of hydrogen energy storage systems

Feasibility assessment of solution mining and gas storage in salt caverns: a case study of the Sanshui salt mine

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