Storing excess green hydrogen for winter energy supply: what sounds like a vision of the future is already a reality in Gampern in the Vöcklabruck district in Upper Austria. The first such storage facility in the world was opened there on Thursday.
“Underground Sun Storage” is the name of the project that RAG (formerly: Rohöl-Aufsuchungs AG) describes as a world premiere. In the plant, which was opened on Thursday in the presence of Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) in Gampern (Vöcklabruck district), 4.2 GWh of summer electricity – which is roughly equivalent to the excess solar energy from photovoltaic systems in 1000 single-family homes – is being converted into green hydrogen and pressed under pressure in a former gas reservoir. For example, it is stored for the winter when the supply of renewable energy from wind is not constant or that from sun and water is not sufficient.
Up to 20 million euros in investment costs
The factory is expected to be commissioned in the coming weeks. The investment costs amount to 15 to 20 million euros, of which six million come from the climate and energy fund.
Storage in an underground pore deposit at a depth of more than 1,000 meters could be groundbreaking because, according to RAG boss Markus Mitteregger, about 85 percent of Europe’s approximately 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas storage facilities are made up of sandstone, or porous rock. The customer in Gampern is RAG itself: “We are now building an eight-kilometer hydrogen pipeline in the summer to then generate heat and electricity in a power station with a gas engine,” Mitteregger announced.
2000 such memories would be needed
The full conversion and storage of summer electricity for winter needs would require 2,000 storage units, as in Gampern. However, RAG has much larger ones, so the number would be significantly lower. The costs of the technology for the end customer are still incalculable. RAG only sees itself as a storage operator. The use of the stored hydrogen is the responsibility of the customers, such as industry or energy suppliers.
“Key factor” for industrial federal state
Stelzer sees hydrogen as a key factor for the industrial state of Upper Austria to make the location fit for the future. Mining Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) reiterated in a video in which he hailed the openness to technology in terms of energy sources promoted by his party. This corresponds to the stored green hydrogen as an important contribution to security of supply throughout the year. “At the same time, fossil natural gas is being replaced, making us less dependent.”
“Conversion to climate neutral Austria”
In a broadcast, Minister of Climate Protection Leonore Gewessler (Greens) praised the fact that RAG had succeeded in setting international standards and showing “how the transition to a climate-neutral Austria can succeed”.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
