VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Geological Survey of Finland GTK and industrial partner organizations have launched a research project Hydrogen UnderGround (HUG), focused on underground storage of hydrogen.
The two-year project brings together 16 partners, with VTT and GTK assuming the central roles in project coordination and research activities, VTT revealed, adding that the focus of the project is on constructed gas storage solutions because Finland lacks natural ground formations suitable for gas storage.
According to VTT, hydrogen underground storages are widely seen to play a critical role in the green hydrogen value chain as the production and demand of hydrogen needs to be balanced.
The institution claimed that storages are necessary to enable the stable supply of hydrogen to companies utilizing green hydrogen, which cannot operate in an economically sound way without hydrogen storage.
“Storing hydrogen above ground, akin to traditional methods for natural gas, proves impractical for cost and safety reasons. Preliminary reviews affirm underground storage as the most affordable and safe option on a large scale,” VTT said.
Project Managers Pasi Valkokari from VTT and Teemu Lindqvist from GTK stated: “The overall goal of the HUG project is to build the basis for a large-scale hydrogen storage concept for the Finnish hydrogen business and technology ecosystem. The project also aims to establish pathways for continued research, inviting partner companies to contribute to ongoing advancements in the field.”
To note, this project is co-funded by Business Finland, and it is a part of Neste’s and Valmet’s Veturi ecosystems.
Antti Pohjoranta from Neste’s renewable hydrogen & Power-to-X innovation business platform, commented: “Hydrogen is a key component of Neste’s refinery processes, and we are dedicated to advancing the national hydrogen industry. Project HUG provides invaluable support towards this goal.”
Juha-Pekka Jalkanen, Director, Process Automation, Automation Systems business line, Valmet, said: “The HUG research project is seeking to find answers to critical automation technology questions that are essential not only for hydrogen storage but also for the whole hydrogen production and consumption ecosystem.”
Click here to read more about hydrogen in Finland.