First assessment of an area potentially suitable for underground hydrogen storage in Italy

An Insight into Underground Hydrogen Storage in Italy

“…Of particular interest is the "Treviso" storage complex in north-eastern Italy (Figure 6) near the currently operating "Collalto" storage site, which is characterised by the simultaneous presence of aquifer formations and depleted gas fields at a depth of 1500 m to 2500 m, which have recently been identified and characterised by [18].…”

“…In this region, the depleted field "Cugno le Macine", with an area of 48 km 2 , is currently used as a natural gas storage in two different reservoirs, "Grottole" and "Ferrandina" (see next section for details), whereas the depleted hydrocarbon field of "Serra Pizzuta has been abandoned but included in our study. Of particular interest is the "Treviso" storage complex in north-eastern Italy (Figure 6) near the currently operating "Collalto" storage site, which is characterised by the simultaneous presence of aquifer formations and depleted gas fields at a depth of 1500 m to 2500 m, which have recently been identified and characterised by [18].…”

“…In central Italy, there are five depleted gas fields that could potentially be used for UHS onshore (Figure 7); all are of Neogene age and located along the Adriatic coast "Cellino" and "Fiume Treste" are currently used as natural gas storage facilities. "Cellino" has five active wells and the storage depth is about 850 m, while "Fiume Treste" has 84 storage wells and a storage depth of 1200 m. Of particular interest is the "Treviso" storage complex in north-eastern Italy (Figure 6) near the currently operating "Collalto" storage site, which is characterised by the simultaneous presence of aquifer formations and depleted gas fields at a depth of 1500 m to 2500 m, which have recently been identified and characterised by [18].…”

“…Storage of H2 will require larger reservoirs and potentially higher pressures to store the same volume of H 2 compared with CH 4 and CO 2 . The biological and geochemical reactions that can occur in a reservoir are also an important aspect to consider, as reactions can consume H2, thereby reducing the amount of H 2 that can be retrieved [4,14,18,19] There are examples where hydrogen is stored in salt caverns, usually as a component of a gas mixture, with methane forming the larger portion [20][21][22][23]. However, although salt caverns are considered most favourable for UHS due to their physical, chemical, economic and mechanical properties, which allow secure and efficient storage even at high pressure [22], salt deposits of suitable quality are not evenly distributed worldwide.…”

The Influence of Microbial Activities on the Capillary Pressure during H2 Injection: Implications for Underground H2 Storage

“…Hydrogen can be stored at the surface or subsurface, but the surface storage process is very risky and costly because H 2 can combine easily with O 2 or air in an enclosed space, increasing the possibility of explosions and safety concerns. , Furthermore, the construction and maintenance cost of surface facilities that could accommodate such huge volumes of H 2 required to compensate the global energy demand is exorbitant. , Underground H 2 storage (UHS) is a promising technique of cyclic storage of H 2 at large scale. The potential geological formations for UHS have been identified as salt caverns and saline aquifers, as well as depleted hydrocarbon fields. − …”