Hydrogen storage and geo-methanation in a depleted underground hydrocarbon reservoir

Cathrine Hellerschmied, Johanna Schritter, Niels Waldmann, Artur B. Zaduryan, Lydia Rachbauer, Kerstin E. Scherr, Anitha Andiappan, Stephan Bauer, Markus Pichler and Andreas P. Loibner ()
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Cathrine Hellerschmied: BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Johanna Schritter: BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Niels Waldmann: BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Artur B. Zaduryan: BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Lydia Rachbauer: Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Kerstin E. Scherr: BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Anitha Andiappan: RAG Austria AG
Stephan Bauer: RAG Austria AG
Markus Pichler: RAG Austria AG
Andreas P. Loibner: BOKU, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences

Nature Energy, 2024, vol. 9, issue 3, 333-344

Abstract: Abstract Coupling of power-to-gas processes with underground gas storage could effectively allow surplus electricity to be stored for later use. Depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs could be used as stores, but practical experience of hydrogen storage in such sites is limited. Here we present data from a field trial that stored 119,353 m3 of hydrogen admixed to natural gas in a depleted hydrocarbon reservoir. After 285 days, hydrogen recovery was 84.3%, indicating the process’s technical feasibility. Additionally, we report that microbes mediated hydrogen conversion to methane. In laboratory experiments studying mesocosms that mimic real reservoirs, hydrogen and carbon dioxide were converted to methane (0.26 mmol l−1 h−1 evolution rate) reproducibly over 14 cycles in 357 days. This rate theoretically allows 114,648 m3 of methane per year to be produced in the test reservoir (equivalent to ~1.08 GWh). Our research demonstrates the efficiency of hydrogen storage and the importance of geo-methanation in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41560-024-01458-1

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