TY - JOUR
T1 - Hydrogen storage in saline aquifers
T2 - The role of cushion gas for injection and production
AU - Heinemann, N.
AU - Scafidi, J.
AU - Pickup, G.
AU - Thaysen, E. M.
AU - Hassanpouryouzband, A.
AU - Wilkinson, M.
AU - Satterley, A. K.
AU - Booth, M. G.
AU - Edlmann, K.
AU - Haszeldine, R. S.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Computer Modelling Group (CMG) for the licences for the used reservoir engineering software suit. We would also like to thank Schlumberger for the Petrel licence. Special thanks to CGG for their continuous support of our work on low-carbon energy applications. NH, ET, GP, MW, AH, KE and SH are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded research project “HyStorPor” (grant number EP/S027815/1 ). JS is funded by a Natural Environment Research Council National Productivity Investment Fund PhD 460 studentship NE/R009228/1 and CASE funding from Hydrenor.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC
This is compliant within Heriot Watt's repository, an e-mail from Marko confirming deposit of the accepted manuscript on the 14/10/2021 is attached and kept 'closed' for information only.
PY - 2021/11/16
Y1 - 2021/11/16
N2 - Hydrogen stored on a large scale in porous rocks helps alleviate the main drawbacks of intermittent renewable energy generation and will play a significant role as a fuel substitute to limit global warming. This study discusses the injection, storage and production of hydrogen in an open saline aquifer anticline using industry standard reservoir engineering software, and investigates the role of cushion gas, one of the main cost uncertainties of hydrogen storage in porous media. The results show that one well can inject and reproduce enough hydrogen in a saline aquifer anticline to cover 25% of the annual hydrogen energy required to decarbonise the domestic heating of East Anglia (UK). Cushion gas plays an important role and its injection in saline aquifers is dominated by brine displacement and accompanied by high pressures. The required ratio of cushion gas to working gas depends strongly on geological parameters including reservoir depth, the shape of the trap, and reservoir permeability, which are investigated in this study. Generally, deeper reservoirs with high permeability are favoured. The study shows that the volume of cushion gas directly determines the working gas injection and production performance. It is concluded that a thorough investigation into the cushion gas requirement, taking into account cushion gas costs as well as the cost-benefit of cushion gas in place, should be an integral part of a hydrogen storage development plan in saline aquifers.
AB - Hydrogen stored on a large scale in porous rocks helps alleviate the main drawbacks of intermittent renewable energy generation and will play a significant role as a fuel substitute to limit global warming. This study discusses the injection, storage and production of hydrogen in an open saline aquifer anticline using industry standard reservoir engineering software, and investigates the role of cushion gas, one of the main cost uncertainties of hydrogen storage in porous media. The results show that one well can inject and reproduce enough hydrogen in a saline aquifer anticline to cover 25% of the annual hydrogen energy required to decarbonise the domestic heating of East Anglia (UK). Cushion gas plays an important role and its injection in saline aquifers is dominated by brine displacement and accompanied by high pressures. The required ratio of cushion gas to working gas depends strongly on geological parameters including reservoir depth, the shape of the trap, and reservoir permeability, which are investigated in this study. Generally, deeper reservoirs with high permeability are favoured. The study shows that the volume of cushion gas directly determines the working gas injection and production performance. It is concluded that a thorough investigation into the cushion gas requirement, taking into account cushion gas costs as well as the cost-benefit of cushion gas in place, should be an integral part of a hydrogen storage development plan in saline aquifers.
KW - Cushion gas requirement
KW - Hydrogen subsurface storage
KW - Low-carbon energy storage
KW - Saline aquifers
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.09.174
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.09.174
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85117403165
SN - 0360-3199
VL - 46
SP - 39284
EP - 39296
JO - International journal of hydrogen energy
JF - International journal of hydrogen energy
IS - 79
ER -