2 ms·

Guess what: we already have the storage capacity for that. We currently have something like 200TWh of gas storage. Once we don’t need that anymore for heating (

Guess what: we already have the storage capacity for that. We currently have something like 200TWh of gas storage. Once we don’t need that anymore for heating (give it 30 years) it’s free for hydrogen storage. This pretty much selects the locations for the grid-scale electrolyze installations. They must be either next to the storage sites or along the pipes. The latter already covers significant parts of Germany. Yes it’s inefficient, I’d be surprised if you even get 50% roundtrip efficiency, but it’s effectively free (at least compared to build battery capacity or nuclear power plants).

ben_w 3y ago
> it’s free for hydrogen storage If only chemistry was so forgiving. The existing methane infrastructure isn't nothing, but it's also (from everything I've heard whenever this comes up) not everything either. OTOH, I have heard hydrogen is a lot friendlier when mixed with methane, so I assume this will still be very useful when transitioning to whatever comes next.
- hnaccount_rng 3y ago
  Sure the storage tanks aren’t completely tight, so you will have some amount of leakage. But that’s (afaiu) mostly a problem of the distribution network. The tanks themselves are rather small and even if they leak 20% of their capacity.. who cares? You still get 200+TWh storage (because H2 is more energy dense than LNG) and you shouldn’t burn it either. Just use the reverse process to get electricity back. Yes _those_ plants aren’t there yet. They will have to be build. But that’s much less of a problem (10-20 locations) than upgrading all of the distribution network and all the heaters in every building! We will have to move away from gas-to-buildings though and that will require an upgrade in like 60% of the buildings. Industry is much less of a problem, because at the end of the day, their consumption is much less seasonally influenced (2x, rather than 10x) and only about 1/3 of total gas consumption anyways. So deal with the 2/3 block first. Then chase the rest

ben_w 3y ago

> it’s free for hydrogen storage If only chemistry was so forgiving. The existing methane infrastructure isn't nothing, but it's also (from everything I've heard whenever this comes up) not everything either. OTOH, I have heard hydrogen is a lot friendlier when mixed with methane, so I assume this will still be very useful when transitioning to whatever comes next.

hnaccount_rng 3y ago
Sure the storage tanks aren’t completely tight, so you will have some amount of leakage. But that’s (afaiu) mostly a problem of the distribution network. The tanks themselves are rather small and even if they leak 20% of their capacity.. who cares? You still get 200+TWh storage (because H2 is more energy dense than LNG) and you shouldn’t burn it either. Just use the reverse process to get electricity back. Yes _those_ plants aren’t there yet. They will have to be build. But that’s much less of a problem (10-20 locations) than upgrading all of the distribution network and all the heaters in every building! We will have to move away from gas-to-buildings though and that will require an upgrade in like 60% of the buildings. Industry is much less of a problem, because at the end of the day, their consumption is much less seasonally influenced (2x, rather than 10x) and only about 1/3 of total gas consumption anyways. So deal with the 2/3 block first. Then chase the rest