The Regulatory Framework of Geological Storage of Hydrogen in Salt Caverns

A growing share of renewable energy production in the energy supply systems is key to reaching the European political goal of zero CO2 emission in 2050, highlighted in the green deal. Linked to the irregular production of solar and wind energies, which have the highest potential for development in Europe, massive energy storage solutions are needed as energy buffers. The European project HyPSTER [1] (Hydrogen Pilot STorage for large Ecosystem Replication) granted by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership addresses this topic by demonstrating a cyclic test in an experimental salt cavern filled with hydrogen up to 3 tons using hydrogen that is produced onsite by a 1 MW electrolyser. One specific objective of the project is the assessment of the risks and environmental impacts of cyclic hydrogen storage in salt caverns and providing guidelines for safety, regulations, and standards. This paper highlights the first outcome of the task WP5.5 of the HyPSTER project, addressing the regulatory and normative frameworks for the safety of hydrogen storage in salt caverns from some selected European Countries, which is dedicated to defining recommendations for promoting the safe development of this industry within Europe.