Unlocking the Potential of Hydrogen Storage

Project Overview

Full Project Title: Unlocking the Potential of Hydrogen Storage in Salt Caverns in the Central North Sea

The project, funded by Geosolutions Leeds, is part of the exciting new strategic investment by the University of Leeds Climate Plan. It supports the refocusing of research and training to achieve Net Zero goals and accelerate the Energy Transition.

​The project examines potential hydrogen storage sites on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) to facilitate the use of hydrogen as an energy source in achieving the UK's Net Zero targets by 2050. It aims to screen the subsurface for potential sites for hydrogen storage within Permian salt caverns. The thickness, structure, and composition of the salt rocks are highly variable, and specific sites need to be identified that can safely and securely store the hydrogen for later use.

We will use a large subsurface dataset of seismic reflection data and boreholes, collected in the North Sea, to screen for sites of suitable size, geometry and seal capacity to store hydrogen. Samples of North Sea Permian salt will also be tested to determine their suitability for hydrogen storage. We will provide a database of potential salt cavern locations in the Central and Southern North Sea offshore Yorkshire.