Hydrogen requires less storage space than natural gas because of its low volumetric density
Timing a challenge for hydrogen storage
High targets for imports of the fuel will make storage critical for guaranteeing security of supply
Strong policy backing will be needed to support construction of hydrogen storage sites and speed up planning processes, according to industry association Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Existing natural gas storage sites are unlikely to be converted to hydrogen in the next few years, as they have become essential to security of supply following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The EU enacted a regulation requiring member states’ to ensure their natural gas storage sites were at least 80pc full before winter 2022–23 and 90pc for the following winters. The regulation has a sunset clause of December 2025. The regulation will make it challenging for gas-to-hydrogen storage conversions to be online
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The creation of ‘lead markets’ to generate hydrogen demand in the EU has potential, but implementation would pose complex challenges for producers and industrial offtakers
