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North-east research project to aid subsea hydrogen storage


By Alan Beresford

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NEW research into large scale subsea hydrogen storage will help to provide green energy for offshore platforms, the automotive and aerospace industries, and for household heating.

The study is looking at the subsea storage of hydrogen.
The study is looking at the subsea storage of hydrogen.

The study is part of the integrated energy research programme undertaken at the National Subsea Centre (NSC), created in partnership between Robert Gordon University (RGU) and the Net Zero Technology Centre.

The demand for hydrogen is increasing across sectors for power, buildings, industry, and fuel as the world attempts to reach its net zero targets. The design of optimised and safe underwater tanks – of versatile shape and composite materials – will support the storage of hydrogen at its purest capacity for large scale and improved integration into grid-level use.

Jemma Reynolds, Integrated Energy Research Assistant at NSC, saod: “Hydrogen is at the heart of integrated energy, and the global demand for hydrogen has been on the rise since 1975.

"When pressurised or liquified, it has the highest energy content per unit of weight. It’s a clean energy source that doesn’t produce any greenhouse gasses when utilised and is essential to meeting the Paris Agreement.”

Professor James Njuguna, Integrated Energy Lead at NSC.
Professor James Njuguna, Integrated Energy Lead at NSC.

Professor James Njuguna, Integrated Energy Lead at NSC, added: “Using the high-pressure depths of subsea conditions, this project will help to store hydrogen at scale in a clean, efficient, and safe way.

"It will also help to reduce carbon emissions by decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels to produce hydrogen and support manufacturing opportunities as we increase efforts to meet demand.”

The National Subsea Centre’s Integrated Energy portfolio of research aims to design, model, evaluate, and construct leading-edge integrated marine energy grids to support the transition to decarbonised energy using smart materials, robotics, and mixed energy systems.

It is a multi-million-pound centre for excellence in subsea and ocean related research and technology development, and part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

The aim of the NSC is to accelerate the energy transition through smart technologies applied to industrial and environmental challenges in subsea and related marine sectors.

The centre harnesses academic expertise, research capability, and facilities available at RGU to establish world-class research and development in the fields of subsea engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, and integrated energy.



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