Hydrogen has been identified as an energy carrier that will play a major role in the decarbonization of the world. In the hydrogen market of the future, highly flexible storage options are essential to compensate for fluctuations between supply and demand by injecting and withdrawing hydrogen.
FB Group has projects ongoing for TEG and TSA Units which shall demonstrate the injection and production of hydrogen from reused salt caverns and at the same time remove impurities such as water, hydrocarbons and sulfur components. Special focus is also on the adaptation and rededication of existing natural gas/oil caverns. For these areas FB supplies complete TEG-based dehydration units to be installed in aboveground facilities as part of the transition process to a future hydrogen economy.
Why hydrogen needs large scale, flexible storage
Unlike many other energy carriers, hydrogen production from renewable sources can vary significantly depending on wind and solar availability, while demand from industry and transport follows its own separate pattern. Salt caverns offer a way to store large volumes of hydrogen underground and inject or withdraw it relatively quickly, helping to balance this mismatch between supply and demand. This flexibility is expected to become an important part of the infrastructure that supports a growing hydrogen economy, alongside pipelines and other storage technologies.
Keeping stored hydrogen clean and dry
Hydrogen that has been stored underground and then withdrawn typically carries impurities picked up from the cavern environment, including water, hydrocarbons and sulfur components. Left untreated, these impurities can affect downstream equipment and the quality of the hydrogen delivered to end users. The TEG and TSA units FB Group supplies for these projects are designed to remove exactly this type of contamination, so hydrogen coming out of storage meets the purity levels required for its intended application.
Repurposing existing gas and oil caverns
Rather than only developing new storage sites, FB Group is also focused on adapting and rededicating existing natural gas and oil caverns for hydrogen service. This approach can make use of infrastructure that is already in place, while the aboveground TEG-based dehydration units treat the hydrogen stream before it enters the wider distribution network. Combining cavern repurposing with proven, TEG-based dehydration technology offers a practical pathway for bringing large scale hydrogen storage online as part of the broader transition process.
Everything you need to know
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