H100 town Expansion-Storage Solution: Balgonie Feasibility Study

Completed

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen storage)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
SGN - Southern England

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 September 2021

31 July 2022

ENA months

£333,333

Energy

South East

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, SGN - Southern England

Project Contact, SGN - Scotland

Project Contact, SGN

The project will follow a four-phase approach as follows: Phase 1Phase 1 will cover geological investigation of the Balgonie anticline site. Existing borehole data will be gathered to understand the characteristics of target sandstones and seals both in terms of their porosity and sealing capacity. In tandem, a 3D model of the site will be developed to calculate the potential storage volume and injectivity to the site. Shallow borehole analysis and non-intrusive seismic analysis have also been proposed for initial site investigations. Phase 2Phase 2 of the project will look to identify licencing requirements for the site and determine the pathway to planning permission with Fife council. A licencing model for site operation will be developed for hydrogen storage based from natural gas experience. Detailed seismic analysis programmes will be developed for future phases of the project, in addition to the design and cost estimation of a drilling programme to fill current gaps in understanding. Phase 3Phase 3 of the project will develop a risk register for the technical, regulatory, commercial and stakeholder risks and mitigations for the project. Phase 4Phase 4 will include the delivery of project outputs in a final report format, outlining all findings and recommendations for further development. A roadmap for development of the site including steps and decision gates will also be provided in addition to stakeholder engagement for policy makers to outline the potential for hydrogen storage at the Balgonie site and the scalability to other regions in the UK and network operators.   The project proposal is outlined below: Work Package 1-Geological Site InvestigationGather geological data (e.g. borehole records).Geological description of target sandstones and seals (porosity and sealing capacity).Geotechnical sample analysis to evaluate potential hydrogen loss (if can be sourced).3D model of working storage volume and injectivity.Shallow borehole investigation for overburden rock analysisWork Package 2-Site Development Investigation Identify licencing requirements for site investigations using seismic surveys and drilling.Determine pathway to planning permissions with Fife Council.Propose licencing model for site operation as a hydrogen storage site based on Natural Gas experience.Identify licencing requirements for site development, operation, decommissioning and abandonment.Design a seismic survey-along roads, vibroseis contractor-timescales and costs will be identifiedIdentify actor to designs survey, supervises and manages the practicality and delivery of the survey.Design and cost a drilling program to fill in the gaps in current understanding.Work Package 3-Risk Management Develop a Risk Register of Technical risks and mitigations.Develop a Risk Register of Regulatory risks and mitigations.Develop a Risk Register of Stakeholders risks and mitigations.Develop a Risk Register of Commercial risks and mitigations.Work Package 4-Project DeliveryFinal report presenting results from all tasks, with recommendations.Roadmap to demonstration indicating steps and decision gates.Peer-reviewed publication on the use of the Balgonie anticline as a hydrogen storage site.A summary for policy-makers document to highlight the key recommendations and findings. Project objectives include an initial feasibility study of the Balgonie anticline site to assess its viability for hydrogen storage and understanding design and costs for the site to becomeoperational. This project is an important component of the business case for future phases of our H100 Fife project, the national hydrogen conversion programme, and aligns with the UK Governments ambitions for a hydrogen town. Project outputs will also be invaluable to other gas network operators, with the ability to scale the Balgonie anticline hydrogen storage site to other regions of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

A fundamental obligation of H100 Fife development for transition to 100% hydrogen is to ensure consumers have security of supply. Therefore, it is imperative for us to identify strategic, long-term storage sites to provide assurance to regulators and consumers that a hydrogen network is compatible with our obligations. Large scale subsurface storage is one of a number of important ingredients in the larger deployment of hydrogen to support conversion of the gas network in Fife and the East Coast of Scotland.This project will provide invaluable insight into the roadmap for development of subsurface large-scale hydrogen storage in the Balgonie field that will support the development of hydrogen in the Fife region. The project will provide a critical demonstrator methodology for the storage of hydrogen, with the ability to scale the Balgonie anticline hydrogen storage site to other regions of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

19/10/22