The study "Picturing the value of underground gas storage to the European hydrogen system" highlights the central role of underground gas storage in building an integrated energy system and hydrogen economy in Europe by 2050. The detailed elaboration and map provide a detailed overview with concrete facts and figures about the potential of existing and future storage facilities in Europe. The assumptions of this hydrogen storage study build on the updated proposal for the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB), a vision for a pan-European hydrogen network.
Key statements of the study are that large-scale, underground hydrogen storage is essential for the development of the European hydrogen market.
Significant storage deployment and development of additional hydrogen storage volumes is required if hydrogen is to be deployed on a large scale.
A first estimate calculates a demand of about 70 TWh for hydrogen storage for the year 2030, which – taking volumetric necessities into account – will increase almost sevenfold to 450 TWh demand for hydrogen storage by 2050.
