UK Oil & Gas (UKOG), a UK-based energy company, announced plans on Monday for a second underground hydrogen storage project in the southwest of England.
The company has secured land and subsurface mineral rights in south Dorset, near a proposed hydrogen pipeline.
This new project will be situated within the Dorset Triassic salt deposit, a geological formation well-suited for hydrogen storage. The site is anticipated to provide up to 10 terawatt-hours (TWh) of working storage annually, significantly contributing to the UK’s hydrogen storage capacity.
“This location offers an optimal opportunity to exploit the thickest part of the onshore Dorset Triassic salt deposit, allowing us to create large underground caverns with a relatively small surface footprint,” said Stephen Sanderson, CEO of UK Energy Storage, a subsidiary of UKOG.
Salt formations are ideal for hydrogen storage due to their chemical and geological stability, as well as their impermeability, ensuring that hydrogen can be stored safely and securely underground without risk of leakage.
The project will now move forward with finalizing the lease agreement, conducting design studies, and submitting a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project planning application.
