© Supplied by Costain Gas storage developer Storengy UK has contracted infrastructure service firm Costain to deliver development work on an underground hydrogen storage project in Cheshire
The Keuper Gas Storage Project (KGSP) plans will use 19 underground salt caverns to store up to 400 million cubic metres of hydrogen.
Alongside the salt caverns, the KGSP also includes hydrogen treatment, compression, dehydration and transfer facilities.
In total, the KGSP facility near Northwich could store the equivalent of 1.3 GWh of hydrogen once complete.
Hydrogen storage is a crucial factor in the UK government’s efforts to develop a hydrogen fuel economy as part of its net zero ambitions.
A report by the Royal Society estimated the UK could need as much as 100 TWH of hydrogen capacity by 2050.
In total, the UK may need to build the equivalent of 10 Rough gas storage facilities to meet its future hydrogen demands according to an expert from the University of Edinburgh.
Keuper Gas Storage Project
Storengy, a subsidiary of French firm Engie, is developing the KGSP alongside Ineos subsidiary Inovyn.
Inovyn secured a development consent order to store natural gas at the site in 2017, but the company is now looking to amend its plans for hydrogen storage.
Costain will deliver two front end engineering and design (FEED) contracts for Storengy to support the KGSP development.
Costain natural resources managing director Sam White said the project “will enable a transformative hydrogen storage facility to improve the UK’s energy resilience and economic prosperity in the North West of England”.
© Supplied by CostainHe added: “We have decades of experience in delivering salt cavern gas storage facilities and we’ll apply this knowledge to the rapidly growing hydrogen economy, designing safe and secure storage systems that will be critical to creating a sustainable future.
“Our longstanding knowledge of the site, and established relationships with the local supply chain, mean we’re well placed to deliver designs that have constructability at their heart, paving the way for the scheme to progress smoothly.”
Costain has previously worked with Storengy on the construction of the Stublach solution mining plant.
Storengy UK hydrogen director Paul Snary said the KGSP will “help decarbonise both industry and energy generation” in the North West of England “and beyond”.
“This is a long-term project involving many local and regional stakeholders, and we’re looking forward to drawing on Costain’s expertise and long track record in this space to ensure the engineering and constructability designs meet the requirements, before progressing towards EPCm contracts,” Snary said.
HyNet hydrogen storage
The first FEED contract will look at solution mining, which involves pumping water hundreds of metres underground to dissolve salt deposits.
The resultant brine solution is then extracted to create a cavern for gas storage.
The second FEED will focus on the gas storage facilities needed to receive hydrogen from the proposed HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster.
© Supplied by HyNetThe design will cover the transportation, compression and storage of hydrogen within the caverns, as well as its transportation back into the HyNet system.
Costain said it expects to complete the FEED projects in 2026, supporting Storengy to make a final investment decision on the KGSP.
Other firms including Centrica, UK Energy Storage, SSE and Equinor, Gravitricity, and Kistos are also looking at developing various UK hydrogen storage facilities.
