The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has commissioned China’s first large-scale hydrogen storage demonstration project in Pingdingshan City, Henan Province.
The project was jointly developed by the Wuhan Institute of Geotechnical Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and China Pingmei Shenma Group, with participation from China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec).
The salt cavern storage system was constructed at a depth of 1,418 m, with a solution-mined cavity volume exceeding 30,000 m³. It has a hydrogen storage capacity of 1.5 million standard m³.
CAS said the project represents the first successful large-scale engineering application of salt cavern hydrogen storage in China and addresses several technical challenges that have previously limited commercial deployment.
The consortium developed a fine-scale site selection and design framework to assess sealing performance in layered geological conditions.
Key technical developments include the use of layered salt rock formations for reservoir construction and an improved understanding of hydrogen migration behavior in ultra-low-permeability salt structures. To address challenges such as hydrogen-induced material corrosion and sealing reliability, anti-hydrogen embrittlement casing materials and high-integrity sealing systems for storage infrastructure were developed.
According to the developers, all key core equipment used in the project is domestically produced, achieving full localization of critical technologies and supply chains.
Researchers involved in the project said it verifies the technical feasibility of geological hydrogen storage in China and provides a potential engineering pathway for overcoming storage bottlenecks expected in the country’s hydrogen expansion plans during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
Beyond storage applications, the system is expected to support grid balancing by absorbing surplus renewable energy from wind and solar generation, helping improve system stability.
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