First EAGE/DGMK Joint Workshop on Hydrogen Storage Took Place in Celle

On 24 April 2019, about 70 international experts met in the Congress Union Celle for the first EAGE/DGMK joint workshop on hydrogen storage. Three keynote speeches provided an introduction to the topic of underground storage of hydrogen. Leonhardt Ganzer (TU Clausthal) presented the current state of research and the contribution of science to the further development of this technology. Ton van Wingerden (DNV GL) dealt with the prerequisites for an economic operation of hydrogen storage, and René Schoof (Uniper) showed which efforts have been and are being made by the energy industry to bring underground hydrogen storage to market maturity.

In addition to exploration and pilot projects, the technical presentations focused in particular on the ongoing basic research on microbiology and storage integrity.

In summary, it can be said that the technology of underground hydrogen storage is well on the way to wider application. However, it is also true that, with a view to the transport and storage of pure hydrogen in the existing infrastructure, numerous scientific and technical hurdles still have to be overcome in order to ensure economical and safe operation. This can be achieved by gradually increasing the proportion of hydrogen in the existing network for natural gas transport and storage, while at the same time intensively addressing the scientific and technical issues that remain open.

Here, in addition to the energy industry, politicians are also called upon to help this promising technology succeed by providing financial support for basic research and pilot projects.

The conference proceedings can be obtained from the EAGE: