Hydrogen storage with ground-source energy utilisation

Summary

Need

This project was selected as part of the competitive Hydrogen R&D Funding Round under the Transformative Research Accelerating Commercialisation (TRAC) Program to rapidly develop the critical technologies required to build a clean, innovative, safe, and competitive hydrogen industry and position Australia as a major player globally. While hydrogen technologies and targets have continued to evolve, R&D investment remains a critical imperative to commercialise clean hydrogen. Projects supported by the Hydrogen R&D Funding Round seek to progress the commercialisation of low cost, clean hydrogen in Australia.

Hydrogen storage in vessels, such as aboveground or buried piping, is expensive due to the need for specialised materials that are compatible with the chemical/physical properties of hydrogen, especially in large volumes, high pressures (typically up to 70 MPa), or potentially low temperatures (-253°C).

The clathrate hydrate-based hydrogen storage system, which utilises a crystalline aqueous-based compound as the main storage medium, offers the potential for lower material costs, improved stability, and milder storage/release conditions which presents a potential economic benefit for the Australian hydrogen industry.

Action

The key objectives of the project involve development of the hydrogen hydrate materials and storage configurations, and subsequent trails in pilot-based systems.

The project will be delivered in two stages:

1. The core research stage, including:
   • parameterisation of nano-scaffolding of hydrogen hydrate
   • material down selection, design, and optimisation
   • optimisation of capsule configuration
   • cyclic performance evaluation of reacting capsules and technoeconomic analysis
   • design and development of lab demonstration of CHHS system
   • integration and lab demonstration tests and technoeconomic analysis, and
   • comparison of cooling strategies and cooling coil layouts
2. The research commercialisation stage, including:
   • pilot-scale system concept design
   • pilot-scale system detailed design, procurement, and construction
   • pilot-scale system commissioning and testing
   • performance modelling based on outcomes of the Stage 1 core research
   • cost model for all components of the CHHS industrial-scale system and a technoeconomic analysis that will bring together the cost and performance models, and
   • benchmarking analysis of the CHHS system performance against alternative hydrogen storage technologies, in terms of the cost-effectiveness, commercialisation potentials and environmental impacts.

Outcome

The project is expected to demonstrate the commercialisation capacity of the low-cost clathrate hydrate-based hydrogen storage system.

The project’s successful outcome will have positive implications for Australia’s hydrogen industry and contribute to broader renewable energy industries.

The market for hydrogen storage is rapidly growing as hydrogen is increasingly recognised as a key enabler for the transition to clean and sustainable energy. It is crucial for balancing the intermittent nature of renewable energy, enabling the integration of renewable energy into various sectors, and ensuring a stable energy supply.