New study on hydrogen storage potential in the East Midlands
Funding awarded to explore underground hydrogen storage potential in the East Midlands
EAST Midlands Storage (EMstor), a consortium led by Cadent and partnered with the British Geological Survey (BGS), Star Energy Group, Net Zero Strategy, and the University of Edinburgh, has been awarded discovery funding by Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund to undertake a new study to evaluate geological storage potential in the East Midlands.
The EMstor study – the first of its kind in the region – will undertake a feasibility assessment of the East Midlands’ geology to evaluate its potential to host storage technologies, allowing expansion of Cadent’s proposed 100% hydrogen pipeline.
The East Midlands has numerous depleted oil reservoirs, which may have potential to store hydrogen. The study will characterize the potential geological reservoir to establish if it is suitable for hydrogen storage at scale in the local area.
Sally Brewis, head of regional development at Cadent, said: ‘It’s such exciting news that this funding bid for our EMstor study has been a success.
‘This evaluation could potentially lay the foundations for a hydrogen storage demonstration project in the area through subsequent funding rounds, which could be game changing for the hydrogen economy in the region and will enable a more rapid decarbonization of industry and power generators that want to switch to hydrogen.
‘Consideration of using disused oil reservoirs for storing hydrogen is a new frontier for the industry and could have far-reaching benefits if it’s shown to be possible through this work.’
Edward Hough, research lead in underground energy storage at the BGS, added: ‘The natural geology of the East Midlands will play an important role in supporting the use of hydrogen in the region. Storing hydrogen gives flexibility to the energy system, allowing excess hydrogen to be stored for use during periods when demand exceeds supply.
‘In this project, BGS will build on its extensive laboratory and mapping programmes to help identify areas of the underground geology that may represent future exploration targets for hydrogen storage in bedrock.’
