German utility firm Uniper has launched a new site specifically designed for the storage of green hydrogen.
Officially opened yesterday (1st Sept) in Krummhorn, Germany, the salt cavern will have a total storage capacity of nearly 500,000 normal cubic metres of green hydrogen.
Known as HPC (Hydrogen Pilot Trial) Krummhorn, the project aims to investigate and test the full use of a salt cavern for green hydrogen storage under operational conditions, combining energy security and decarbonisation.
The trial operation begins on 24th September 2024, with a gas tightness test, followed by the planned first gas filling.
Commenting on the launch, Michael Lewis, CEO at Uniper, said, “Energy storage has always been a key element of a stable and efficient energy system, especially when it comes to balancing out seasonal fluctuations in demand.”
“In addition to transport networks, the successful introduction of hydrogen will above all require large-scale storage options.”
Uniper plans to expand the storage capacity at the Krummhorn site to 250 gigawatt hours (GWh) of hydrogen in an initial phase, with an eventual goal of reaching 600 GWh by 2030.
Holger Kreetz, COO of Uniper, called for a clear regulatory framework to support these developments, noting that “investments in the development of hydrogen storage systems require a clearly defined regulatory framework that incentivises initial investment.”
This expansion is part of a broader strategy to develop additional hydrogen storage sites in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Olaf Lies, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Construction and Digitalisation, noted that the project’s location is ideal due to its proximity to the North Sea and existing infrastructure.
“We still have a lot of plans here and want to become one of the centres of the European hydrogen economy,” he said.
Uniper is investing a low double-digit million euro amount in the HPC projects, with additional funding of €2.375m ($2.6m) from the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection.
The project is part of Uniper’s ‘Greener Gases’ strategy and aims to help decarbonise the energy sector with hydrogen, biogas and synthetic gases while strengthening energy security in Germany and Europe.
The strategy integrates these gases with renewable energy sources to enhance grid stability and reduce carbon emissions.
