Hybrit project demonstrates safe hydrogen storage
The Hybrit initiative has successfully tested hydrogen storage on an industrial scale in Sweden. The technology is intended to reduce costs and secure supply.
A new storage facility for fossil-free hydrogen has passed key safety tests in Sweden. According to an announcement by the company Hybrit on March 5, the technology is now ready for industrial use and will reduce the variable operating costs of hydrogen production by up to 40 percent. The tests were conducted in an underground rock cavern in Svartöberget in northern Sweden. The storage facility is located near the Hybrit direct reduction plant, which produces sponge iron for steel production (see info box).
Background: Hybrit is a joint project between Swedish companies Svenskt Stal (SSAB, steel manufacturer from Stockholm), LKAB (mining company based in Lulea) and Vattenfall (energy supplier based in Solna). The project comprises several development stages, including pilot plants and demonstration projects in Sweden. A hydrogen storage facility is also part of the project.
Technology tested for long-term use
The rock cavern storage facility has a volume of 100 cubic meters, is lined with steel, and has been tested for long-term suitability. According to Hybrit, the tests simulated a service life of around 50 years. The project partners checked the tightness and structural stability of the facility. This was successful: according to their own statements, there was no leakage of hydrogen from the storage material.
In the test runs conducted to date, the storage facility has been in operation for over 3,800 hours. It was used in campaigns lasting three to six weeks with an availability of 94 percent. This means that the storage facility was actually functional and ready for use in 94 percent of the planned operating time. In other words, it was only unavailable for 6 percent of the time due to maintenance, technical problems, or other reasons.
Mikael Nordlander, responsible for industrial partnerships at Vattenfall, explained that the technology not only contributes to the decarbonization of the steel industry, but also makes the power grid more flexible. The storage of hydrogen is an important factor in the efficient use of weather-dependent energy sources such as wind and solar power.
The storage facility is intended to help produce hydrogen cost-effectively. When electricity prices are low, excess hydrogen can be produced and stored, while when prices are high, it can be retrieved from storage. According to Hybrit, simulations for the Swedish electricity market show that this could result in savings of between 25 and 40 percent in variable operating costs.
Significance for the steel industry
The global steel sector accounts for around 7 percent of global CO2 emissions. Hybrit technology could enable SSAB to reduce emissions by 10 percent in Sweden and 7 percent in Finland. The aim is to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen from renewable energies.
The Swedish Energy Agency financed 22 percent of the project, with the remaining funds coming from the companies involved. Hybrit plans to continue testing until next year in order to further develop the technology for commercial storage.
