Underground Sun Storage 2030

Underground Sun Storage 2030 (USS 2030) represents a flagship project of FFG that is seeking solutions for large-scale seasonal storage of renewable energy. The primary objective of this project is the storage of renewably-generated, green hydrogen (H2) in high purity inside depleted natural gas reservoirs. When considering the envisaged expansion of renewable energy production throughout Europe, energy system models predict a significant excess of electricity in the grid during summertime. In contrast, limited solar irradiance and low water periods during wintertime will cause power shortages during the season. This gap cannot be closed by utilizing conventional fossil-fueled power plants and by electricity imports from neighboring countries as they will face similar challenges. Hence, innovative energy storage technologies with high capacity will be needed to shift multiple TWh of energy from summer to winter. In the framework of several precursor projects, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna along with RAG Austria AG elaborated a profound technical know-how to deliberately introduce H2 into underground gas reservoirs. Based on the gained insights, this project now reaches out to develop and demonstrate a feasible storage solution for pure hydrogen in porous gas storages. Furthermore, the effects of a massive hydrogen exposure on endogenous microbial communities and potential microbial responses will be investigated. In cooperation with renowned partners from industry and research institutions, various exploitation paths will be assessed: • Admixture of H2 to the natural gas grid • Hydrogen utilization in the energy-intensive industry (pipeline-based) • Purification and reutilization of stored H2 (off-grid) The one-of-a-kind Underground Sun Storage 2030 project will provide findings on the seasonal storability of H2 in depleted porous gas storages on basis of both, large-scale field tests and laboratory experiments. A complementary techno-economic analysis will also be anticipated along a modelling incentive to evaluate potential future energy scenarios of this storage technology. This project is part of the Hydrogen Initiative Flagship Region Austria Power & Gas (WIVA P&G), which is funded by the Austrian climate and energy fund. The usage of subsurface gas storages for the purpose of H2 storage is part of the ”Long-term strategy 2050 - Austria“ corresponding to regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European parliament.