Development status and key technologies of underground hydrogen storage

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1006-6535.2025.04.001

Abstract

Abstract: Hydrogen energy is a crucial supporting technology for promoting energy transition and achieving the "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" goals. To achieve the rapid development of the hydrogen economy, the bottleneck of large-scale hydrogen storage technology must be broken. Salt caverns, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and saline aquifers offer large storage space, good sealing, and enormous hydrogen storage potential, giving rise to the underground hydrogen storage (UHS) strategy. In recent years, scholars at home and abroad have conducted a certain degree of basic research and field testing on UHS. Based on previous research, this paper systematically reviews the domestic and international development status of UHS from the perspectives of necessity, feasibility, and key scientific and technological issues, clarifies the similarities and differences between underground hydrogen storage, carbon storage, and natural gas storage, sorts out the key scientific problems of UHS, and points out the focus areas for future research. This study identifies current limitations and future development directions, providing important guidance and impetus for the development of UHS technology.

Key words: underground hydrogen storage (UHS), hydrogen energy, salt cavern, depleted oil and gas reservoir, saline aquifer, "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" goals

CLC Number:

TK91

PAN Bin, YANG Yawen, CHEN Ting, YANG Yongfei, SONG Xianzhi, WAN Jifang, CHEN Hongkun, CUI Shaodong. Development status and key technologies of underground hydrogen storage[J]. Special Oil & Gas Reservoirs, 2025, 32(4): 1-13.

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