Key Technologies and Prospect of Salt Cavern Hydrogen Storage in China

With the advancement of China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (“dual carbon”) goals, traditional fossil energy is being transformed into renewable and clean energy. Hydrogen energy, characterized by wide sources, high energy density, and high efficiency and cleanliness, has become an important energy component in the future. Salt caverns have especially obvious advantages in terms of gas tightness, and salt does not react with hydrogen, making them the first choice for large-scale underground hydrogen storage. In order to focus on the research and future development of salt cavern hydrogen storage technologies in China, the geological types and characteristics of hydrogen storage were analyzed and the research progress of salt cavern hydrogen storage and its current situation in foreign operations were discussed. In view of the salt cavern hydrogen storage technologies, the key technologies such as large-size drilling and completion, salt cavern cavity creation and morphology control, cavity sealing evaluation, wellbore integrity testing and evaluation, and control of tubing corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement were analyzed. The relevant hydrogen energy policies and strategic goals formulated by various countries in recent years were summarized. Combining the opportunities and challenges for the future development of salt cavern hydrogen storage in China, the prospects were provided for the geological selection and evaluation of salt cavern hydrogen storage, integrity of large-size wellbore, morphology control of salt cavern cavity creation and sealing detection, and organic synergistic development of hydrogen energy and salt, with a view to advancing the large-scale application of hydrogen energy and the development of industrial chain. The results of the study can provide a reference for the development and planning of salt cavern hydrogen storage in China.