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THE SALT OF THE EARTH: EXPLORING HYDROGEN STORAGE CAVERNS IN NEWFOUNDLAND
Shantel Turna, Project Geologist II
shantel.turna@respec.com
Jai Duhan, Project Engineer II
jai.duhan@respec.com
In Newfoundland, Canada, RESPEC engineers are on a mission to explore the feasibility of underground energy storage in salt structures, bringing the world one step closer to a hydrogen-fueled future.
Hydrogen is a versatile, renewable energy source that produces zero carbon emissions when spent, making it an ideal choice for powering a range of industries, such as long-term transportation, infrastructure, and power generation. By 2050, hydrogen-based fuels are projected to account for 13 percent of the global energy demand.
Despite its many benefits, finding efficient ways to store hydrogen has been challenging. That’s where RESPEC comes in. We’ve spent more than 50 years underground and evaluated over 1,000 caverns in every major cavern storage region. Our involvement with compressed air energy storage (CAES) and hydrogen storage projects spans North America, where we’ve completed feasibility studies, geomechanical evaluations, lab testing, and core logging and provided regulatory support to many projects, including the Advanced Clean Energy Storage project in Utah, expected to be the world’s largest renewable energy hub.
But farther north in Newfoundland, RESPEC has partnered with Vortex Energy Corp. (Vortex) and Atco Mining Inc. (Atco) to find salt structures that could be developed into hydrogen storage caverns. At Vortex’s Robinson’s River Salt Project, RESPEC’s interpreted gravity and seismic data show two salt structures that could potentially hold 550,000 and 250,000 tons of hydrogen, respectively. At Atco’s Flat Bay Salt Project, our gravity and seismic data interpretation shows a salt structure up to 1,700 meters thick, potentially holding salt caverns with volume exceeding 2 million cubic meters per cavern. We are creating a 3D model to assist with future well placement, define salt structure dimensions, and estimate the hydrogen storage capacity.
As hydrogen storage continues to grow, RESPEC offers a range of services to clients looking to develop storage cavern fields. RESPEC’s work in Newfoundland and other parts of the world demonstrates that finding efficient storage methods can promote the widespread adoption of hydrogen as a clean energy source, helping create a greener and more sustainable world for everyone.
Photo Credit: Vortex Energy Corp.
QUESTIONS?
Contact RESPEC for more information. Shantel Turna, shantel.turna@respec.com