The companies TEAM (leader), TTI, TUBOS REUNIDOS, TAMOIN, and IBERDROLA, along with the Energy Cluster Associations (ACE) and SIDEREX, have secured €1.6 million from the PERTE call for the execution of the H2SALT project. The objective of the project is to develop a comprehensive system for hydrogen storage in a salt cavern and determine its technical-economic viability for industrial projects.

ollowing the definitive resolution for the grant of aid under the “incentive program 4: basic-fundamental research challenges, innovative pilots, and training in key enabling technologies within the incentive programs for the innovative value chain and knowledge of renewable hydrogen,” included in the framework of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, €1.6 million are granted for the development of the H2SALT project, with the code PR-H2CVAL4-C1-2022-0072.

The H2SALT project addresses one of the most relevant challenges today: the integration of new products and solutions for the growing sector of renewable hydrogen. Currently, at the national or European level, underground hydrogen storage technology is not developed, and there are no locations where this type of storage takes place.

At the national level, underground storage is limited to natural gas, and in the European continent, there are some storage facilities in salt cavities, although they are used with hydrocarbons and not with hydrogen. There is a lack of knowledge and limitations to have a large-scale, stable, and leak-free storage system.

In this way, H2SALT will investigate and develop technological solutions necessary for underground hydrogen storage in salt caverns over the next three years, safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively, contemplating growth and technological advancement involving technology development.

The main objective of the project is to develop a comprehensive system for hydrogen storage in a salt cavern based on existing geological conditions and determine its technical-economic viability for industrial projects. This includes structural and gas behavior analysis in the cavern, tubular products for injection-extraction, necessary auxiliary facilities for gas treatment before entering and after leaving the cavern, and the development of a business model.

This project will result from the collaborative work of the formed group, composed of four specialized sector companies (TEAM, TUBACEX TUBOS INOXIDABLES, TUBOS REUNIDOS, and TAMOIN) and IBERDROLA as an entity interested in the potential results of the research addressed in the project. Together with the contribution of TECNALIA RESEARCH & INOVATION and TUBACEX INNOVATION (both belonging to the RVCTI, Basque Network of Science, Technology, and Innovation, participating through subcontracting), as well as the participation of the Energy Cluster Association (ACE) and SIDEREX (both associations responsible for communication and dissemination of results) and experts from IGME (Spanish Geological and Mining Institute), H2SALT has a multidisciplinary team capable of managing a comprehensive project for hydrogen storage in salt caverns.