An Insight into Underground Hydrogen Storage in Italy

Abstract

Hydrogen is a key energy carrier that could play a crucial role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Hydrogen-related technologies are considered flexible solutions to support the large-scale implementation of intermittent energy supply from renewable sources by using renewable energy to generate green hydrogen during periods of low demand. Therefore, a short-term increase in demand for hydrogen as an energy carrier and an increase in hydrogen production are expected to drive demand for large-scale storage facilities to ensure continuous availability. Owing to the large potential available storage space, underground hydrogen storage offers a viable solution for the long-term storage of large amounts of energy. This study presents the results of a survey of potential underground hydrogen storage sites in Italy, carried out within the H2020 EU Hystories “Hydrogen Storage In European Subsurface” project. The objective of this work was to clarify the feasibility of the implementation of large-scale storage of green hydrogen in depleted hydrocarbon fields and saline aquifers. By analysing publicly available data, mainly well stratigraphy and logs, we were able to identify onshore and offshore storage sites in Italy. The hydrogen storage capacity in depleted gas fields currently used for natural gas storage was estimated to be around 69.2 TWh.