Plans for UK's largest gas storage caverns moved

Plans for the UK's largest hydrogen storage caverns have moved to a new location.

The company behind the project had previously agreed to lease a site at the Port of Portland for the project, but are now proposing a new site west of Weymouth in Dorset.

UK Oil and Gas PLC (UKOG) cited higher storage capacity and cost-savings of £450m as driving factors.

The new plans are for 24 salt caverns drilled 1.3km underground, which the company said could store one billion cubic metres of hydrogen.

The exact details of the new location have not been announced and a deal is yet to be agreed with the landowners.

Salt caverns are widely used for storing natural gas, but there are only a small number in use worldwide for storing hydrogen.

They are formed by drilling deep underground, then pumping water to dissolve the salt and create a cavity.

They can then be used to store and extract hydrogen to use as fuel.

Hydrogen can be produced cleanly by splitting water using renewable energy sources like wind and solar panels.

But the vast majority of hydrogen produced in the UK is "blue hydrogen" - meaning it's extracted from fossil fuels.

That process releases large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Blue hydrogen relies on technologies that can capture and store that CO2.

But a spokesperson for UKOG said the caverns would strictly be used to store green hydrogen.

UKOG said in a release that it is also considering plans for a green hydrogen plant at Portland Port that could be linked to the new storage site.

A spokesperson for the Port of Portland said: "We respect the reasons for the relocation decision and look forward to exploring the opportunity of a green hydrogen pilot plant here at the port."

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