Login (DCU Staff Only)
Login (DCU Staff Only)

DORAS | DCU Research Repository

Explore open access research and scholarly works from DCU

Advanced Search

Techno-economic analysis of green hydrogen storage in salt caverns: Evaluating cycling effects and cavern scaling on the levelized cost of hydrogen storage in Ireland’s power-to-X landscape

Mehr, Ali Saberi and Carton, James orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-8498-2544 (2025) Techno-economic analysis of green hydrogen storage in salt caverns: Evaluating cycling effects and cavern scaling on the levelized cost of hydrogen storage in Ireland’s power-to-X landscape. Journal of Energy Storage, 136 . p. 118439. ISSN 2352-1538

Abstract
This paper examines the techno-economic feasibility of utilising salt caverns for large-scale hydrogen storage in Ireland, leveraging wind energy and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers. The analysis focuses on optimising the integration of wind power with hydrogen production and storage, addressing key challenges such as energy curtailment, grid transmission constraints, and renewable energy intermittency. Findings highlight significant economic considerations, with a single hydrogen storage cavern requiring an initial investment of approximately €240 million, where geological site preparation and compressor systems constitute the largest cost components. Annual operational expenses (OPEX) are estimated at €4.6 million, largely due to compressor energy consumption and cooling requirements. The study emphasizes the critical impact of electrolyser scale on economic viability. Small-scale systems, such as a 20 MW PEM electrolyser, are economically unfeasible, with a levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of around €10/kg and filling times extending up to 2.5 years. However, scaling up to a 200 MW PEM electrolyser dramatically improves cost efficiency, lowering the LCOH to approximately €0.83/kg and reducing filling times to just 90 days. This research provides a comprehensive framework for hydrogen storage development, offering key insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to drive the renewable energy transition and enhance energy security through cost-effective and sustainable storage solutions.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Green hydrogen; Large-scale storage; Salt cavern; Technoeconomic Cycling; LCOH
Subjects:Engineering > Mechanical engineering
Engineering > Production engineering
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Engineering and Computing
DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Engineering and Computing > School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
Publisher:Elsevier BV
Official URL:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/...
Copyright Information:Authors
ID Code:31579
Deposited On:29 Sep 2025 10:31 by Gordon Kennedy . Last Modified 29 Sep 2025 10:31
Documents

Full text available as:

[thumbnail of 1-s2.0-S2352152X25031524-main.pdf]
Preview
PDF - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
6MB
Metrics

Altmetric Badge

Dimensions Badge

Downloads

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Archive Staff Only: edit this record