UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) PLC, the fossil fuel extraction company that has proved so unsuccessful at Horse Hill, Dunsfold, Broadford Bridge, the Isle of Wight and in Turkey, now wants to create salt caverns beneath the Isle of Portland in Dorset, for hydrogen storage. It is promoting the project through its new subsidiary UK Energy Storage Ltd (UKEn).
Hydrogen will play an important role in the transition to net zero and there will be an increased need to store hydrogen so that it is readily available when needed. Yet the development of a large-scale hydrogen industry is still beset by uncertainties, is often controversial, and includes a certain amount of greenwash.
The Weald Action Group has published a briefing examining the feasibility of UKEn’s proposal, and whether hydrogen storage caverns in Dorset would make a contribution to the much needed energy transition. The briefing was written for the Weald Action Group by Ann Stewart BSc (Hons) Env Studies (Open).
Key points include:
- Uncertainties about the potential for storage, as the extent of the salt formations is not properly understood.
- Significant environmental concerns about the mining of the salt caverns and disposing of all the salt.
- No foreseeable source of renewable electricity exists to produce “green” hydrogen, and no associated production infrastructure.
- The planned alternative use for the caverns, that is LNG from a proposed LNG terminal, is definitely not low carbon.
- Any plans to pipe hydrogen to or from the Fawley terminal at Southampton depend on the development of the Solent Cluster. This has failed to receive essential government funding.
Read the briefing: WAG hydrogen briefing 2024
Hi Sarah and all. Its Peter. We met at Garden Court Chambers the other day. I have read Ann’s excellent briefing and your response to the planning consultation.
I guess you have now seen the announcement by Milliband ( surely the most disappointing SOS ever in a crowded field!) that £22billion will be made available to support CCS via Great British Energy, another scam as the board will comprise 6 Oil and Gas corporation representatives! An interesting figure given it is identical to the supposed black hole in public finances and sufficient to insulate every home in Britain! Have you seen the article from Greenpeace by Rex Wexler, ” The Great Carbon Capture Scam” and the letter sent to Milliband challenging CCS and Blue Hydrogen? I will send them separately. As I mentioned, I am in the process of registering our co-op ” Tipping Point Publications Co-operative Limited” and we will be producing newsletters and journals on these areas once that is done and inviting comrades to join the co-op. Solidarity to you all.
Thank you for getting in touch Peter. It is good to hear that you found the Salt caverns briefing helpful. We were asked to sign that letter to Ed Miliband, and I think Sarah signed it. Today I joined a Global Gas and Oil Network (GGON) meeting. One of the attendees was Ken Penton who is Co chair of Labour’s Environment campaign. He seemed not to be in favour of CCS. he says that Miliband first introduced funding for CCS in 2008, but the Tories cancelled that, so he doe have a history of supporting it. However, that £21 billion is from now to 2035 and so far only one of the projects has been signed off, so things could still change.
At the meeting another report was introduced, which I am reading now. It might interest you too. Its about the billion of subsidies the industry receives. https://www.oilchange.org/publications/funding-failure-carbon-capture-and-fossil-hydrogen-subsidies-exposed/
Good luck with your CO op. Do keep us in the loop. All the best
Ann
Also read this, came via my brother, Michael, Science writer and ex editor of New Scientist (many decades ago).
Climate consequences of hydrogen emissions
https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/22/9349/2022/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGNoQlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHftWBXYp-1Did-qJoxAJqIqQ3__IZhSoZI1_yMtRT2ibwlbbHeh6iRyk2A_aem_7v7MwqC03uIb4NEEpSbX0g