Uniper Energy Storage is pursuing the development of salt caverns for the large-volume storage of hydrogen in northwest Germany with an initial target storage capacity of 250 to 600 GWh, which should be available to the market before the end of 2030. For this reason, existing sites and potential new sites along the planned H2 core network are currently being examined in detail.
"In future, we want to play an even greater role in accelerating the energy transition in Europe while ensuring security of supply", says Doug Waters, Managing Director of Uniper Energy Storage. "We have a total of more than 80 TWh of underground storage capacity for natural gas in Germany, Austria and the UK.
This makes Uniper one of the largest storage operators in Europe. As part of the hydrogen ramp-up, we want to reallocate some of our storage capacities and build new storage facilities. This will allow us to store renewable energy in the form of hydrogen for the hard-to-electrify industry and potentially use it later for long-term energy storage to enable better management of volatile renewable generation."
Prospective expansion of the Krummhörn storage site in Lower Saxony
Hydrogen as a chemical or energy carrier could play a decisive role in the energy transition. The construction and operation of large-volume H2 storage facilities should enable the reliable supply of hydrogen to the market planned from 2030, despite fluctuating production. The transformation of the energy system will focus on quickly converting existing underground plants to meet demand and building new ones. At the same time, natural gas storage facilities will continue to be needed in the coming years to ensure security of supply.
The H2 storage projects Hydrogen Pilot Cavern (HPC) in Krummhörn and HyStorage in Bierwang are already part of the implementation of Uniper's "greener gases" strategy and serve to prepare commercial storage projects.
The HPC Krummhörn pilot project is intended to provide important findings for the realization of commercial hydrogen storage facilities by 2025. The Krummhörn site will then be further developed commercially in order to initially provide the market with a storage capacity of 250 GWh. The first commercial hydrogen storage facility is scheduled to go into operation there in the third quarter of 2029.
Over the next five years, an additional investment volume of around 200 million euros is to be made available for the construction of the above-ground facilities and the adaptation of the underground facilities. An expansion of the site to higher storage capacities after 2030 is also possible in the future.
Investigation of existing and new sites along the H2 core network
According to Uniper, further working gas storage capacities for hydrogen are to be provided by developing existing and new sites in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Hydrogen storage facilities with a total capacity of up to 600 GWh are to be built and put into operation by the end of 2030.
For a more precise forecast of the required H2 storage capacities, Uniper Energy Storage is conducting a comprehensive market consultation until the end of March 2024, the results of which will serve as a further planning basis for hydrogen storage locations and for the demand-oriented provision of hydrogen storage products in the future.
"Investments in the development of hydrogen storage systems require a stable regulatory and funding framework in order to be able to develop cost-covering business models", emphasizes Holger Kreetz, COO Uniper. "By planning the development of hydrogen storage facilities in the order of up to 600 GWh by 2030, we as Uniper are making advance investments. Whether and how the storage projects can be implemented depends largely on the framework conditions and economic viability. However, we have concrete proposals that ensure a balance between the necessary hedging of investment risks and a competitive market model on the one hand, and security of supply through natural gas storage on the other. The principles of contracts for difference should be applied in order to achieve the objectives in a cost-efficient and effective manner."
(Quelle: Uniper)
