Pioneering work underground
Storag Etzel GmbH is one of the largest independent storage companies for crude oil and natural gas in Europe. In the ‘H2CAST Etzel’ project, they are researching the extent to which existing oil and gas caverns can be converted to hydrogen. The project is being funded by the state of Lower Saxony and the federal government because it serves as a model for underground hydrogen storage throughout Germany.
Carsten Reekers has been working at Storag Etzel since 2008. He is the project manager for ‘H2CAST Etzel’ and when he talks about his work, the sentences just bubble out of him. It is clear to see that he is passionate about this project.
As a civil engineer, this is an El Dorado for me, as I have to deal with many different disciplines.
Authorisation law, materials science or even microbacteriology. And where I get stuck, I look for specialists. The University of Bochum, for example, is one of the most renowned addresses for corrosion analyses. This pioneering work is fun. It may be hard to imagine at the moment that hydrogen will play a significant role in the energy supply, but I'm sure that will change in a few years' time. Thirty years ago, we would never have thought that we would be working with artificial intelligence or driving electric cars today.
Two caverns at depths of 1,000 to 1,200 metres with a diameter of 50 metres are being converted for ‘H2CAST’. They are currently filled with brine made from salt and water. A double-walled pipe system, which is also used to fill natural gas caverns, has already been installed and approved by the authorities.
Plant engineers, welders and other trades have been working on the caverns around the clock for six weeks. Around 30 external companies are involved in the project. Reekers and his team of ten are responsible for the realisation. They plan, control and monitor the work. Following successful leak tests with nitrogen, additional tests with hydrogen are now to ensure maximum safety. The test facility installed above ground will then be used to test the gas storage operation with all work steps such as compression and gas drying.
Much can be transferred from the natural gas caverns, but not everything, because hydrogen has different properties. The question for us is not whether, but only HOW it works best.
By 2026, Storag Etzel wants to be ‘H2 ready’, i.e. ready to store hydrogen. This would be a key building block in the transition of the energy supply.
Source: www.energyhub-wilhelmshaven.de/en
You can read the ‘Energy for our future’ online edition here (german).