H-2-SALT: Storing Fossil Energy as Hydrogen in Salt Caverns

Technical Report · Fri Sep 30 04:00:00 EDT 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2336712· OSTI ID:2336712

Hasiuk, Franciszek Franek ^[1]; Meng, Jingyao Jenny ^[2]; Raney, Jennifer ^[3]; Holubnyak, Eugene ^[4]; Bostick, Devin ^[5]; Lane, Jonathan ^[5]; Krishnamurthy, Krish ^[6]; Wilkus, Dan ^[7]; Schram, Alex ^[7]; Ridley, Carrie ^[8]

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1. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Laboratories
2. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States); Virginia Department of Energy, Charlottesville, VA (United States)
3. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States); New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM (United States)
4. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States); University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)
5. Linde, Inc., Tonawanda, NY (United States)
6. Linde Corporation, Pittston, PA (United States)
7. Evergy, Topeka, KS (United States)
8. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States)

Hydrogen storage in subsurface caverns is known as perhaps largest and longest-term energy storage system. While few such systems are currently in service (e.g., Texas; Teesside, UK), they are envisioned as being a pillar of the current energy transition that will allow intermittent power production from renewable sources (e.g., wind, solar) to be balanced with demand at grid-scale. In addition, hydrogen energy storage can allow existing fossil power plants to run more economically either by minimizing startups/shutdowns or by allowing them to take advantage of arbitrage. Finally, stored hydrogen can feed a variety of non-power users such as pipeline gas, heating, transportation, and manufacturing. The H-2-SALT paper study assessed the feasibility of a power-to-hydrogen system utilizing salt cavern storage of hydrogen in bedded salt in central Kansas, where over 750 such caverns have been constructed to date, of which approximately 350 are still in service. Legacy well and salt cavern data were collected to develop a regional geological database for two sites in Central Kansas and adjacent areas for use in more detailed geological and geomechanical site characterization efforts. This study found commercial viability and competitiveness of large-scale, electrolytic H₂ production and storage ($1.78 per kg H₂) that can be used for both electrical power supply to the grid during high-priced electricity periods (including co-firing with NG and fuel cell power production) and sale of H₂ for various industries, such as petrochemicals or transportation. The commercial potential of the H-2-SALT system is also relatively high because each of its components operate commercially today. It is recommended that a stratigraphic test well be drilled to collect log data and core samples that can reduce uncertainty surrounding geological and geomechanical properties of the salt beds that will be required for further cavern and energy storage system design studies.

• Research Organization: University of Kansas Center for Research Inc., Lawrence, KS (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM)
• DOE Contract Number: FE0032015
• OSTI ID: 2336712
• Report Number(s): DE--FE0032015
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
08 HYDROGEN
25 ENERGY STORAGE
58 GEOSCIENCES
Energy Storage
Hydrogen
Kansas
Natural Gas
Salt Cavern