Underground Hydrogen Storage: Prospects, Opportunities, and Challenges presents a comprehensive analysis of the technical and economic aspects of underground hydrogen storage. In addition to providing a detailed examination of the fundamentals, properties, storage options, reaction kinetics, modelling, and economics of underground hydrogen storage, the book offers pragmatic solutions to the demand-supply gap caused by conventional hydrogen storage systems and intermittency challenges associated with renewable energy sources. Divided into 9 parts, parts 1 and 2 provide a foundational introduction to underground hydrogen storage and a detailed review of the properties of hydrogen. The different storage options are examined in Part 3, with individual chapters dedicated to depleted gas reservoirs, oil reservoirs, aquifers (including saline aquifers), salt caverns, coal mines, lined hard rock caverns, and refrigerated mined caverns. Part 4 discusses the influencing parameters such as permeability, density and viscosity, interfacial tension and surface tension, wettability, capillary pressure, absorption and desorption, and solubility and diffusivity. Part 5 addresses the reaction kinetics, including methanogenesis, acetogenesis, sulphate reduction, and iron reduction. Part 6 provides examples and guidance on modelling methods for determining storage capacity and deliverability, injection and production sensitivity analysis, hydrodynamics, risk analysis, the effects of viscous fingering and gravity override, and the application of artificial intelligence. Part 7 reviews the current distribution of potential underground hydrogen storage sites and active facilities globally.
In Part 8, the economics of hydrogen storage is considered, providing in-depth discussions of supply and demand and issues around security and cost analysis. Finally, Part 9 looks at the various challenges and opportunities for underground hydrogen storage. Underground Hydrogen Storage is an invaluable reference for students, researchers, scientists, and engineers working across the hydrogen economy, and will be of interest to anyone involved in energy storage and the intermittency challenges associated with renewable energy sources.