Dorset gas storage caverns: What you need to know

By Bogorpedia February 08, 2025 Post a Comment

A company has chosen a location in Dorset for the construction of the UK's second set of underground storage facilities for hydrogen gas.

What does that mean, and why has Dorset been chosen?

One of three possible locations.

To store gas as UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) is suggesting, you must first locate a thick underground layer of salt.

Engineers can drill directly downwards and inject water to dissolve the salt, forming substantial empty cavities.

The brine can then be discharged and gas can be injected in for storage until it is required.

The UK mainland has only three areas where this is geologically feasible, with Dorset being one of them, according to the company.

The salt the company is examining is located approximately 1.3 kilometers beneath the surface, or about 0.8 miles.

The exact location of the site remains undisclosed, but it is situated to the west of Weymouth.

What might be the potential effects?

Storing gas underground is a common practice and is the primary method used in the UK to safely store natural gas.

However, the use of these caverns for hydrogen has been restricted so far, with only one facility in the UK, situated in Teesside in the North East of England.

It has never been used for storing gas.

Area environmental activists have expressed worries that this could result in difficulties.

"Hydrogen is a highly volatile gas, and when it escapes, it poses a significant threat to safety," said Ann Stewart, a local resident and Green Party representative.

Especially if it comes into contact with oxygen, because that's when it's highly explosive.

I would like to see really tight controls over leak detection, and addressing leaks extremely promptly.

Ian Williams, professor of environmental science at the University of Southampton, echoed the concerns about explosiveness, while also describing hydrogen as "a powerful indirect greenhouse gas".

He noted, "Leakage during production, transportation, and storage can contribute to global warming."

The absence of information about this new location will not contribute to alleviating the anticipated, genuine public concern.

Plans to build gas storage caverns beneath a lough in Northern Ireland were rejected by the UK Supreme Court in 2020, with objectors citing concerns that the drilling process might generate a marine dead zone due to the release of salty water.

Ms. Stewart stated that they shared similar concerns.

"Why would all of that brine end up somewhere? Because that area is a protected coastline," she said.

Stephen Sanderson, Chief Executive of UK Energy Storage Ltd, a subsidiary of UKOG, stated that once the studies are completed, the project details will be made available in a public consultation.

He explained that the Triassic salt deposit in Dorset is quite well understood due to about a hundred boreholes and extensive seismic data coverage,

It has the same geological age, layering, composition, and thickness as the Triassic salt in the Cheshire Basin, where safe gas storage caverns have been in operation since 1984.

Why hydrogen?

In the future, hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources could be stored and used to supplement the energy supply when wind and solar power are not generating enough electricity.

A vital potential fuel for the future of certain industries that are difficult to clean up.

coal in steelmaking furnaces.

However, most hydrogen produced in the UK at present is produced from fossil fuels and is not considered to be low-carbon.

UK Energy Storage Ltd previously stated that plans for a hydrogen storage facility in Dorset could meet the energy needs of the nearby Solent cluster - a regional hub of industry partners, co-founded by Exxon Mobil, who claim they aim to make industrial activity in the area more environmentally friendly.

Plans are in place to establish a hydrogen production facility at the Fawley refinery, located near Southampton.

Local politicians and environmental advocates, such as Greenpeace, have previously accused it of greenwashing, which refers to misleading the public about the environmental advantages of the proposed plans.

When can we expect the groundwork to begin?

The UKOG stated in a press release that it aims to initiate construction by 2030, with the first underground facilities expected to be operational between 2030-2032.

This will be subject to regulatory approval, which would need a Development Consent Order from the Secretary of State, and will also depend on what financing is available.

The company plans to submit a proposal to secure government funding for the project.

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