Underground storage of hydrogen in lined rock caverns: An overview of key components and hydrogen embrittlement challenges

Hydrogen as an energy source has gained a considerable interest because of its potential to minimize carbon emissions. The storage of hydrogen is the key for establishing a hydrogen value chain and large volume storage in underground can be a promising option. However, selecting an appropriate underground storage facility is a complex task, subject to the thermomechanical behavior of the host rock, as well as of the stored gas under high pressure and temperature. This study aims to provide an overview of the key components related to subsurface hydrogen storage, as well as recent advancements and challenges in commercializing the technology. Lined Rock Cavern (LRC) as a storage facility of hydrogen shows great promise and is the focus of this study. An overview and insight of the prevalent mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement causing degradation to liner are discussed in the paper. The experimental procedures and modeling techniques of the degradation process at various scales in assessing the safety and stability of large-scale subsurface hydrogen storage facilities, such as LRCs are outlined. (c) 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.