Underground Hydrogen Storage: Past, Present and Future Outlook

By Professor Hadi Hajibeygi from Delft University of Technology

Abstract: Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is a relatively new topic compared to natural gas storage. It is gaining interest as hydrogen emerges as a potential missing link in a scalable low-carbon energy system. Cheap hydrogen, produced from excess renewable energy, can be stored underground, in lined rock or salt caverns, depleted fields, or aquifers, forming a multi-storage system spanning a few GWh to several TWh. Successful deployment depends on reliable site selection, performance analysis, and risk mitigation. Importantly, cyclic hydromechanical processes at the pore scale govern what is observed at the operational km scale, requiring a multiscale framework linking lab to field. In this talk, our key scientific breakthroughs in this field are presented, alongside lessons from IEA TCP 42 on UHS — a global effort of 50+ institutions for which I served as deputy science lead, resulting in two technology monitoring reports. Highlighting ongoing major global pilot tests and our survey for the first Dutch UHS in depleted fields, key remaining gaps for UHS deployment at scale are also addressed.