Engineering company Harland & Wolff has published results showing the potential to store hydrogen in salt caves in Northern Ireland.
The UK-based company published a study on the Islandmagee Gas Storage Project. It found that hydrogen storage in the salt caves of Islandmagee, Co Antrim, is a possibility.
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The team behind the project said that integrating hydrogen into the storage project is “technically feasible based on existing technologies”. They would, however, require close to $208m (£168m) in order to integrate hydrogen compression, dehydration, and cooling into the facility.
The study also found that reusing natural gas facilities would be “economically and operationally prudent, so that systems are not re-designed for hydrogen unless required”. This reuse would preferably include controls, operations management locations, electrical systems, gas management utilities and cavern creation equipment.
The project aims to create seven salt caves that will be able to house up to 500 million cubic metres of gas in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The project would aim to serve the gas grids on the islands of Ireland and Great Britain, though a date of first operations remains uncertain. They will look to ensure that they can gradually transition from natural gas to hydrogen storage, as consumption shifts within the economy.
The hydrogen project’s future
In 2022, protestors filed a judicial review against the project being awarded a marine license. Joint opposition from groups No Gas Caverns and Friends of the Earth oppose the plans due to the potential damage they alleged it may do to marine life.
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By GlobalDataIn order to create the salt cavern for storage, engineers would need to pump out the salt-water within. The groups argue that this will adversely impact the surrounding aquatic biodiversity. The legal process is still ongoing.
The Islandmagee gas storage project has previously garned government support. In 2022, the project was amongst the recipients of £986,000 of UK government investment. The money was split amongst itself and the larger Ballylumford Power-to-X Project. This aims to “create a full-cycle hydrogen economy using 100% renewable energy sources” within Northern Ireland.
