Innovative Use of Existing Infrastructure: Transforming Petroleum Pipelines for Hydrogen Storage
Key Ideas
  • Exolum successfully transported 400 million litres of LOHC through a 1.3 km pipeline, demonstrating the viability of repurposing existing petroleum infrastructure for hydrogen storage.
  • The project showcased the cost-effectiveness and practicality of storing and distributing hydrogen using LOHCs in the UK's fuel infrastructure, potentially meeting one-third of the country's hydrogen storage needs by 2030.
  • Nacho Casajus highlighted the project's significance in accelerating the transition to a hydrogen economy, emphasizing the readiness of current infrastructure to support large-scale hydrogen transportation and storage.
  • The outcomes of the project are expected to influence energy policy discussions in the UK and Spain, playing a crucial role in advancing hydrogen as an energy vector and aiding industrial decarbonisation efforts.
Exolum, an energy logistics company, successfully conducted a groundbreaking demonstration involving the transportation of 400 million litres of LOHC through a 1.3 km pipeline in Immingham, UK. The project highlighted the potential for repurposing existing petroleum pipelines and storage infrastructure to efficiently store and distribute hydrogen using liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). This innovative approach addresses the challenge of economical hydrogen storage and offers a cost-effective alternative to geological storage methods. The project, funded by Innovate UK, showcased the adaptability of the UK's fuel infrastructure to store up to 1 terrawatt hour of hydrogen, a substantial portion of the country's expected hydrogen storage needs by 2030. Exolon revealed that integrating LOHC-based storage into their existing network of pipelines and tanks was seamless, indicating the practicality and cost-effectiveness of this solution. Nacho Casajus from Exolum emphasized the project's transformative impact on the energy sector, stating that the infrastructure is well-prepared to support the challenges of hydrogen storage. The successful incorporation of LOHC technology not only offers a flexible and efficient storage solution but also accelerates the transition to a hydrogen-based economy. The project's findings are anticipated to shape energy policies in the UK and Spain, particularly regarding the adoption of hydrogen as a key energy vector and the promotion of industrial decarbonisation. The outcomes of this demonstration have the potential to influence the 2025 update to the Hydrogen Strategy by the UK Department of Energy Security & Net Zero, paving the way for wider policy implications in the energy sector.
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