China Launches One Million Cubic Meter Salt Cavern Hydrogen Storage Facility in Henan

China has commissioned its first million-cubic-meter salt cavern hydrogen storage facility in Henan province, designed to support the nation's Hydrogen Industry Development Plan and carbon neutrality objectives by 2060.

The facility uses proven salt cavern storage technology where fresh water is pumped into deep salt rock to create sealed underground chambers. Surplus hydrogen produced by electrolyzers powered by wind and solar energy is pressurized and stored in these cavities. Salt's natural sealing properties prevent leaks even under high pressure. When needed, the stored hydrogen can be extracted for power generation, fuel cells, or use as industrial feedstock.

The project addresses renewable energy curtailment by capturing excess wind and solar power converted to hydrogen rather than shutting down generation. Industries including steelmaking, chemicals, and refining can utilize this green hydrogen to replace fossil inputs. The facility's 200-tonne storage capacity at normal pressure can support hundreds of megawatts for hours.

China's approach leverages Henan's salt formations and local mining expertise to control costs while developing domestic supply chains and training programs for hydrogen infrastructure management. The project created construction jobs and positions China competitively in global hydrogen storage markets.

China plans to produce 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2025. While European countries have used salt caverns for natural gas storage since the 1970s and early hydrogen pilot projects emerged in the UK and US around 2018, China is pursuing large-scale deployment at a faster pace.

Originally reported by Hydrogen Fuel News. Read the full article →