Sammendrag
To ensure a supply of H2 throughout the year, it is essential to have large-scale storage to balance expected fluctuations of energy-production/demand. Underground storage has been proposed as a favourable solution. Many of these potential underground storage sites harbour diverse microbial communities and H2 is not only a perfect energy carrier for human industry but also for microbial metabolisms. While microorganisms consume the H2, they can induce microbial-triggered risks including loss of the stored H2, risks to operational safety and deterioration in quality by H2S production, biocorrosion and changes of the reservoir properties. As the demand for more H2 storage rises, it is therefore important to understand the extent of the microbial presence and activity within the different types of sites (salt caverns, porous media including aquifers and gas reservoirs). Our CETP-sponsored R&D project HyLife works on providing valuable insights on what types of microbes are present and how they will influence the stored H2 through extensive sampling across Europe. Direct results are a) aligned and tested methodologies to maximize comparability, b) an open database on detected microorganisms within the broad range of storage site conditions, c) microbial factors for field screening to minimize the risk when selecting sites.
Vis fullstendig beskrivelse
