Underground Hydrogen Storage in Depleted Hydrocarbon Fields in Germany: A Capacity Assessment

The recent approval of a hydrogen transportation network coupled with planned hydrogen-ready power plants and hydrogen import terminals places Germany at the centre of the European hydrogen economy. Hydrogen storage facilities will play a key role in the future of the country's hydrogen economy, with subsurface storage in depleted (or close to depleted) hydrocarbon fields offering widespread availability and large capacities. Storage capacities in both depleted and active fields were calculated using a volumetric approach based on produced hydrocarbon volumes, resulting in a total estimated hydrogen storage capacity of 641 TWh.