Development of a supporting tool for the evaluation of storage capacity of caverns for renewable energies

Rock mechanical design for hydrogen storage caverns

authored by

Dirk Zapf, Bastian Leuger, S. Donadei, P. L. Horváth, D. Zander-Schiebenhoefer, S. Fleig, M. Henneberg, J. Onneken, S. Gast, S. Roehling, A. Ruales

Abstract

For the construction and planning of storage caverns in Germany mainly salt structures built up from Zechstein salts were used. The salt of the Staßfurt formation of the Zechstein has a high degree of homogeneity and low solids content and therefore offers good conditions for the construction of caverns from geological and rock mechanical point of view. In the context of the research project InSpEE, a storage potential analysis has already been carried out for this type of rock salt (Staudtmeister et al., 2015). As part of the latest research project InSpEE-DS, the scope of research has been extended to previously unconsidered salt formations. The aim of the project was the development and appropriation of planning bases for the selection of sites and the construction of salt caverns for the storage of renewable energies by means of hydrogen and compressed air storage in bedded salt layers as well as built up of different saliniferous formation structures. Within this paper the findings from InSpEE-DS with the focus on the rock mechanical design for hydrogen caverns will be illustrated.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Geotechnical Engineering

External Organisation(s)

DEEP.KBB GmbH
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)

Type

Paper

Publication date

2020

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geochemistry and Petrology, Geophysics, Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy