Underground Hydrogen Storage: Transforming Subsurface Science into Sustainable Energy Solutions

Kwamena Opoku Duartey (), William Ampomah (), Hamid Rahnema and Mohamed Mehana
Additional contact information
Kwamena Opoku Duartey: Petroleum Recovery and Research Center, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
William Ampomah: Petroleum Recovery and Research Center, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
Hamid Rahnema: Petroleum and Natural Gas Department, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
Mohamed Mehana: Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-32

Abstract: As the global economy moves toward net-zero carbon emissions, large-scale energy storage becomes essential to tackle the seasonal nature of renewable sources. Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) offers a feasible solution by allowing surplus renewable energy to be transformed into hydrogen and stored in deep geological formations such as aquifers, salt caverns, or depleted reservoirs, making it available for use on demand. This study thoroughly evaluates UHS concepts, procedures, and challenges. This paper analyzes the most recent breakthroughs in UHS technology and identifies special conditions needed for its successful application, including site selection guidelines, technical and geological factors, and the significance of storage characteristics. The integrity of wells and caprock, which is important for safe and efficient storage, can be affected by the operating dynamics of the hydrogen cycle, notably the fluctuations in pressure and stress within storage formations. To evaluate its potential for broader adoption, we also examined economic elements such as cost-effectiveness and the technical practicality of large-scale storage. We also reviewed current UHS efforts and identified key knowledge gaps, primarily in the areas of hydrogen–rock interactions, geochemistry, gas migration control, microbial activities, and geomechanical stability. Resolving these technological challenges, regulatory frameworks, and environmental sustainability are essential to UHS’s long-term and extensive integration into the energy industry. This article provides a roadmap for UHS research and development, emphasizing the need for further research to fully realize the technology’s promise as a pillar of the hydrogen economy.

Keywords: underground hydrogen storage; geochemical interactions; hydrodynamics; cushion gas; microbial effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/3/748/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/3/748/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:3:p:748-:d:1584959

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().