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© IDRIC 2022 | Website: Tangent & Duncan Weddell & Co
Background
Hydrogen storage will be required to support the UK hydrogen strategy, aiming for the capacity to generate 10GW hydrogen annually by 2030. The identification of further options for hydrogen storage in porous media is relevant to all industrial clusters- to identify large-scale (~GWh) storage options in areas remote from natural beds of halite and provide alternative options for storage in areas near halite basins. Possible alternative geological storage options in porous rocks were initially investigated in IDRIC Wave 1 projects, with results indicating limited adverse reactions in some rock types with hydrogen as well as plume migration-induced hydrogen loss. However, further rock types with potential for storage need to be investigated to enhance confidence.
Lin Ma
Principal Investigator
Lecturer, University of Manchester
Project Team
University of Manchester:
Prof. Kevin Taylor
Dr. Jianpeng Wang
British Geological Survey:
Ed Hough
Dr. Christopher Rochelle
Heriot Watt University:
Prof. John Andresen
Dr. Omid Shahrokhi
Aim
This project aims to integrate, extend and upgrade the two Wave 1 projects to further investigate key aspects in underground hydrogen storage (i.e. reactivity and storage efficiency) to enhance confidence in porous storage and reduce uncertainty before commercial development.
More Detail
The project is an integration, evolution, and significant extension to two Wave 1 projects (059 and 095), both focusing on hydrogen storage and transport aspects. We identified minor reactions between hydrogen and host rocks (059), including loss of clay coating and alteration of pyrite in some rocks, resulting in changes in porosity and permeability. We also identified plume migration at the pore scale which may affect storage efficiency (095). However, these two projects did not cover enough rock types, or the coupling effects of reactions and fluid flow behaviour on storage efficiency, owing to the limited project size and scope. Reactions of hydrogen with rocks associated with anhydrite or clay-rich layers, which have not been carefully studied yet, are predicted to occur potentially. Therefore, further rock types from different candidate storage formations will be undertaken to predict the risks associated with hydrogen storage in porous rocks and decrease uncertainty. Furthermore, the storage efficiency, affected by coupling fluid flow behaviour and reactions during the cyclic processes of storage, is identified as a key aspect to the successful and low-cost UHS for industrial clusters but has not been well understood; this will also be investigated, with analysis following 3-5 injection and recovery cycles planned at analogue pore and core scale rock samples.
Meet the Team
Prof. Kevin Taylor
Prof. Kevin Taylor
University of Manchester
Ed Hough
Ed Hough
British Geological Survey
Dr. Christopher Rochelle
Dr. Christopher Rochelle
British Geological Survey
Prof. John Andresen
Prof. John Andresen
Heriot Watt University
Dr. Omid Shahrokhi
Dr. Omid Shahrokhi
Heriot Watt University
Dr. Jianpeng Wang
Dr. Jianpeng Wang
University of Manchester
Prof. Kevin Taylor
Prof. Kevin Taylor
University of Manchester
Ed Hough
Ed Hough
British Geological Survey
Dr. Christopher Rochelle
Dr. Christopher Rochelle
British Geological Survey
Prof. John Andresen
Prof. John Andresen
Heriot Watt University
Dr. Omid Shahrokhi
Dr. Omid Shahrokhi
Heriot Watt University
Dr. Jianpeng Wang
Dr. Jianpeng Wang
University of Manchester
Planned Outputs
- Pore-scale (µm- to nm- scale) investigation of the storage efficiency during cyclic processes in inert and reactive underground porous media
- Darcy-scale (mm-scale and above) investigation of cyclic fluid flow properties of hydrogen in inert and reactive underground porous media
- Reducing the impact of chemical and microbiological reactions
- Scaling up, synergy and future recommendations to the industrial cluster
