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Underground Sun Storage
Storing Sunshine
ENGLISH
STORING SUNSHINE 32 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE
One of the keys to RAG’s success over its 80-year history
has been the company’s commitment to ongoing
research and development.
Based on the foundations of our core business, oil and
gas exploration and production, RAG is now the fourth-
largest natural gas storage operator in Europe.
The importance of large, efficient energy storage
facilities to security of supply has become even clearer
in light of the rapid expansion of renewable energy in
Europe – technologies that we see ourselves as a
partner to.
Solar and wind power output is erratic because of
changing weather conditions, meaning that generation
cannot be adjusted in response to demand as is the
case with conventional power stations. In some parts
of Europe, such as the north of Austria’s Burgenland
province, on windy days the amount of power generated
by wind farms is already well in excess of demand.
With wind and solar generating capacity growing,
energy storage is becoming an increasingly pressing
issue. And even Austria’s pumped storage plants in the
Alps are no longer sufficient to meet this need.
Power to gas has been widely discussed as a potential
solution to the storage problem for some time. The
technology uses surplus solar and wind power to split
water into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen can
then either be directly injected into the gas grid, or con-
verted into methane – the main constituent of natural
gas – by means of a methanation process using carbon
dioxide. At present direct hydrogen admixture is still
the more economic option, due to its higher efficiency
and the shortage of suitable sources of carbon dioxide.
However, up to now there has been no research into
the effects of hydrogen on the storage capacity
employed by natural gas infrastructure – the under-
ground storage facilities.
A consortium led by RAG has addressed this issue, and
is carrying out research into underground storage of a
mixture of hydrogen and synthetic methane in the test
facility that has now opened. The project was designa-
ted a lead project by Austria’s Climate and Energy Fund
after the first call for contributions to the e!mission.at
programme in 2012. It is scheduled to be completed
in 2016.
“Gas can be transported in large quantities
safely and out of sight via existing underground
infrastructure, and held in environmentally
friendly natural gas storage facilities that are
also already in place. Austria’s geology is ideal
for underground storage, so the country is able
to make a major contribution to security of
supply.”
Markus Mitteregger,
Chief Executive Officer, RAG
	3	 Foreword
	4	 Underground Sun Storage –
		 storing energy from wind and
		 solar power below ground
	 6	 Focus areas
	 8	Schematic representation of an
underground solar energy storage
facility
	10	 Wind + sun = gas
	12	 Project partners
	14	 Cooperation Partners
	15	 Contact
Contents
Foreword
Unique research project to investigate underground storage
of wind and solar energy
Markus Mitteregger, Chief Executive Officer
Stephan Bauer, Project Manager
STORING SUNSHINE 54 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE
the natural gas infrastructure tolerates hydrogen.
These have already shown that the existing infrastruc-
ture seems to cope well with hydrogen content of up
to 10%.
Whether underground gas storage reservoirs can
tolerate hydrogen is still unclear, and that is the main
focus of this groundbreaking project. If the results are
positive, the role of such facilities and their enormous
storage capacity (more than 8 billion cu m in Austria,
equivalent to 92,000 GWh) in the energy system of the
future will change significantly, since they can be used
to store and balance out supplies of renewable energy.
Within this lead project, we are attempting to demon­
strate the ability of underground storage facilities to
tolerate hydrogen content of up to 10% in gas, so that
they do not have to limit the potential of the network as
a whole.
To achieve this aim, the project comprises laboratory
experiments, simulations and a field trial conducted on
an industrial scale at an existing storage reservoir with
similar characteristics to Austria’s large storage facili-
ties. The tests are being accompanied by a risk assess-
ment, a life cycle assessment, and an analysis of the
legal and economic framework conditions. Simulation
tools developed in the project will be calibrated by
collating the results from the laboratory tests, simula­
tions and the field trial. The goal is to enable similar
investigations for many other storage facilities, all over
the world.
Finding a solution to the question of storing renewable
energy is the key to maximising its contribution to the
energy mix and achieving a substantial reduction in
carbon dioxide emissions. In terms of the strategic
development of energy systems for the future, the
results of the pilot will be hugely significant for compa-
nies, political decision-makers and public authorities.
At present, the principal method available for storing large amounts of
energy in the electricity grid is pumped storage. Austria’s pumped
storage power stations can store the electricity demand of 4,600
households (based on average annual consumption), and inject power
into the grid when needed. The quantity of energy stored in RAG’S gas
storage facilities alone is more than 400 times that amount.
Pumped storage vs. Gas storageUnderground Sun Storage – storing energy
from wind and solar power below ground
Harvesting, storing and supplying solar energy: an unprecedented pilot
project run by RAG is currently testing this groundbreaking approach to
energy production and storage.
Storage of hydrogen produced using solar energy is
being trialled at a small depleted gas reservoir in
Pilsbach, Upper Austria.
Energy from renewable sources that can be retained
thanks to storage offers the only straight replacement
for conventional energy – and Austria’s gas storage
facilities provide the necessary infrastructure. The
project is being financed by Austria’s Climate and
Energy Fund.
Project outline
In most cases, energy from renewable sources lacks
flexibility. Neither wind nor solar power can be con­
trolled to meet actual energy demand. But the electricity
grid cannot store energy, so grid operators have to
adjust generation precisely to demand. If it were
possible to store large amounts of power and inject it
back into the grid when needed, generation would no
longer be tied to demand. That is why huge energy
storage facilities are essential in a world that relies on
renewables. In nature, carbon and hydrogen have
evolved as primary sources of energy, and the main
substances in which energy is stored. We have taken
this process as a model and imitated it with power to
gas technology. Using electrolysis, excess energy
generated from renewables is transformed into hydro-
gen, which can be stored in the natural gas network. A
range of tests are being conducted to investigate how
Pumped storage
power station
approx. 4.600
RAG gas storage facility
2.000.000
Focus areas
Work package 7:
Design and Construction of the
Testbed
This package comprises the design and
construction of a pilot facility for in-situ
testing of the storage of hydrogen-methane
mixtures at an actual storage reservoir.
The planned test facility must also be
capable of demonstrating the power to
gas principle, including its application to
energy storage.
Work package 8:
Operation of the Testbed
The objective of this work package is to
carry out a field trial of storage of hydro-
gen-methane mixtures at an actual storage
reservoir, located 1,000 m below ground.
Gas flow rates and gas composition will
be measured throughout the trial and
balanced out on withdrawal. Microbial
analysis and corrosion tests will also be
conducted during the trial, and the memb-
rane module produced by Axiom will be
tested under real operating conditions.
Work package 9:
Risk and Life Cycle
Assessment
A comprehensive assessment of the risks
associated with combined methane and
hydrogen storage will be performed, as
well as an evaluation of projected econo-
mic and environmental performance of
the pilot project over its entire life cycle.
Work package 5:
Materials and Corrosion
This work package involves conducting
laboratory tests to determine whether ad-
mixture of hydrogen results in corrosion of
the steel grades typically used in the
storage facility under normal operating
conditions, and whether there is a possi-
bility of changes occurring in the cemen-
tation of the storage wells.
Work package 10:
Economic and Legal
Assessment
The Energy Institute at the Johannes
Kepler University Linz is leading this work
package, and execute it in cooperation
with Verbund and RAG. The economic
assessment involves looking at the various
potential applications of the storage tech-
nology in the context of overall power to
gas systems, so as to arrive at a range of
different market roles and combinations of
business models. The work will also in­
clude analysing the existing legal system
with a view to identifying obstacles to the
technology and proposing future improve-
ments to the legislative framework.
Work package 6:
Hydrogen Separation
Work in this package forms the basis for
setting up a pilot plant to separate hydro-
gen from natural gas mixtures using
membrane permeation. Numerical models
and laboratory-scale experiments will
provide support for configuration of the
high pressure membrane module, and
selection of the right membrane type for
the separation process.
A work plan divided into ten work packages
has been developed to formulate and answer
the research questions raised by this project.
6 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE STORING SUNSHINE 7
Work package 1:
Project Management
The tasks involved in this work package
include managing communications bet-
ween the various work packages, organi-
sing the public relations effort, dissemina-
ting the research findings, communicating
with funders and reporting on the project.
Work package 2:
Geochemistry and Reactive
Transportmodelling
This package investigates whether hydro-
gen admixture would lead to changes in
the chemistry of the reservoir rock and
fluids. Another research focus is reactive
transport modelling. The work will be
based on laboratory experiments and
simulations.
Work package 4:
Demixing Natural Gas and
Hydrogen
The aim of this work package is to charac-
terise the behaviour of the natural gas-
hydrogen mixture under static and dynamic
reservoir conditions. Potential demixing
processes are being investigated, and
here, too, laboratory experiments are
employed.
Work package 3:
Microbial processes in
Hydrogen exposed Reservoirs
Tests in this work package will deliver
insights into microbiological transforma-
tions in the natural gas storage facility.
Molecular biology techniques will be used
to characterise microorganisms in forma-
tion water in the reservoir. A variety of gas
mixtures (comprising methane, hydrogen,
carbon dioxide and sulphur compounds)
are being applied to core samples from
the reservoirs in lab reactors, with gas
components and pressure changes mea-
sured at regular intervals. The findings will
provide information on the impact of
hydrogen content on metabolic processes
in microorganisms.
STORING SUNSHINE 98 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE
Gas reservoir
Electrolysis
Membrane module
Compressor station
Solar flower
Control centre, measurement station
Wellhead
Well
Reservoir
01
0502
0603
0704
08
0 m
500 m
1.000 m
Grain size of approx. 0.5 mm
Pores in the thin section
Schematic representation of
Underground Sun Storage
01. Electrolysis
In this process, electricity is used to produce hydrogen.
After the well water is purified in the reverse osmosis
plant, it is split into hydrogen and oxygen by applying
a direct current. The hydrogen is dried and mixed with
natural gas, before the mixture is directed to the
compressor station. The oxygen is released into the
atmosphere as a by-product.
Electrolysis of water comprises two half reactions, which
take place at the two electrodes, the cathode and the
anode.
At the cathode: 2 H2O + 2 e-  H2 + 2 OH
At the anode: 6 H2O  O2 + 4 H3O+ + 4 e-
The resulting overall redox reaction is:
2 H2O(l) electrolysis 2 H2(g) + O2 (g)
The Underground Sun Storage project uses alkaline
water electrolysis, where potassium hydroxide is added to
enhance the conductivity of the water and boost process
efficiency.
02. Membrane module
Hydrogen and natural gas can be separated again in
the membrane plant. The membranes used are about
100 times more permeable for hydrogen than they are
for methane. This separation concept enables the
natural gas to be conditioned and the hydrogen to be
recovered in one step.
03. Compressor station
A compressor station is needed to bring the methane-
hydrogen mixture to the required pressure before it is
introduced into the storage reservoir. The planned
maximum storage pressure is 80 bar.
04. Solar flower
The sunflower-shaped photovoltaic plant provides part
of the power required to produce the hydrogen. It is
intended to symbolise the fact that storing renewable
energy is the main focus of this project.
05. Control centre and measurement station
All information flows to the control centre, where
measurement data are processed and dispatched for
evaluation. Under normal operating conditions, the
facility runs autonomously, and is monitored from
RAG’s offices in Gampern. Staff are only required
on-site for a changeover from injection of gas to with-
drawal, or under special circumstances.
06. Wellhead
Gas is conveyed to the wellhead and injected into the
natural rock formations via the well.
07. Well
Injection and withdrawal take place via the well.
08. Reservoir
Millions of years ago, natural gas reservoirs formed in
the pores of sandstone, sealed beneath layers of clay
over 100 m thick. They offer space to store large
amounts of energy sustainably, safely and out of sight.
01
02
03
04
05 05
07
06
08
Water
Cathode
Anode
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Technical specifications of the facility
Reservoir
Max. pressure 	 80 bar
Temperature 	 34 °C
Depth 	 1,027 m
Working gas volume 	 1.8 mn cu m
Reservoir volume 	 6.0 mn cu m
Electrolysis
Power 	 600 kW
	 120 cu m H2/h
STORING SUNSHINE 1110 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE
Eco-friendly technology
Secure, long-term energy supplies that are economically
viable, environmentally sustainable and socially res-
ponsible are a high priority on the European political
agenda, as is reducing the continually growing depen-
dency on energy imports.
Energy companies and research institutes in Austria
and Germany are working flat out on new approaches
to large-scale electricity storage. The power to gas stra-
tegy is particularly promising. This involves converting
renewable electricity into gas and using existing gas
infrastructure to transport and store it.
The principle behind this new, environmentally
friendly technology could hardly be simpler.
Surplus solar and wind power is used to split
water into oxygen and hydrogen by means of
electrolysis. The hydrogen can then be stored for
later use, for example as primary energy in fuel
cells. But a further step is also possible: in metha-
nation, the hydrogen is reacted with carbon
dioxide (CO2). The CO2 can be drawn from the
atmosphere or it can come from a biogas or
industrial plant. The product of the process is
renewable synthetic natural gas.
Methane is the main constituent of natural gas, making
up as much as 98% of its content. It can be injected into
the gas grid and used in the same way as conventional
natural gas to fuel domestic space, for water heating
and industrial processes, as a renewable fuel for
gas-powered vehicles, or alternatively for gas-fired
electricity generation. The process gives rise to no
emissions apart from the oxygen released when the
water is split. Today the efficiency of the conversion
process is already about 60% – a big step forward in
view of the fact that surplus electricity is often not used
at all owing to the lack of storage capacity, and instead
wind turbines are idled or whole wind farms taken off
the grid. If the hydrogen can be used directly, the
efficiency rate is even higher.
Using existing gas infrastructure
Thanks to electrolysis and methanation, electricity can
be converted into hydrogen and into natural gas,
making large-scale power storage possible for the first
time. The process solves one of the biggest problems
posed by electricity storage – shortage of space. It
means we can simply turn to existing natural gas infra-
structure, in the shape of the pipeline grid and large
storage facilities. Instead of developing and rolling out
expensive and elaborate new storage technologies, the
power would be transformed into synthetic natural gas
and stored in depleted gas reservoirs.
“Europe is committed to renewables, but we
need reliable energy supplies around the clock.
Gas can pull that off. Cutting edge power to
gas technology has the potential to make trans-
porting and storing solar and wind energy
affordable, which would make them constantly
available. The infrastructure is already in place –
we have the pipelines and storage facilities
to do the job.”
Markus Mitteregger,
Chief Executive Officer, RAG
Wind + Sun = Gas
This is the equation behind power to gas, an innovative technology
that forms the basis for the Underground Sun Storage research project.
Power to gas could hold the key to affordable transpor-
tation and storage of large quantities of solar and wind
energy, making it available around the clock. Some­
times the wind does not blow or the sun goes in, while
at other times surplus power is produced. For their
share of the energy mix to keep on growing over the
long term, renewables need a means of compensating
for fluctuations in output.
Huge potential
Intermittent renewable electricity output is not the only
problem. Something will also have to be done with all
the excess power generated by giant wind and solar
parks at times when demand is low. This surplus energy
needs to be stored so that it can be made available
during peak periods. If we want 100 percent of the
electricity generated in Austria to come from renewable
sources, we will need storage with capacity over 100
times greater than the potential offered by pumped
storage. (Source: Vienna University of Technology,
ESEA/EA (ed.): ‘Super-4-Micro-Grid’, research project
final report, Vienna 2011). The combined capacity of
pumped storage plants and battery storage used to
date is far from sufficient. Additionally, such facilities
can only release electricity. The answer is gas. Besides
power generation, it can also be used for heating, in
vehicles and as a raw material. The gas transportation
and storage infrastructure in place has all the makings
of a storage system for green power.
Gas Power Plant /
CHP Unit
Households, Industry,
Mobility, CNG
Underground
Sun Storage
Power Grid
Electrolysis Methanation
H2 +CO2
CH4
O2 H2O
Gas Grid
Wind Power
Solar Energy
5.700 MW, 2.140 h
RAG Puchkirchen
gas storage facility
5 MW
1 h
Large-scale
battery storage
100 MW
0 MW
200 MW
400 MW
500 MW
600 MW
26.04. 28.04. 30.04. 02.05. 04.05. 06.05. 08.05.2014
700 MW
800 MW
Installedwindpowercapacity
isequivalenttothreeDanubehydropowerplants
Electricity consumption
in Burgenland
Electricity injection
in Burgenland
principally wind power
750 MW, 6 h
If every car in Burgenland
were an electric vehicle
(180.000 cars)
48 MW, 58 h
Total capacity of pumped
storage power stations
in Lower Austria
5 MW, 1 h
Large-scale battery storage
5.700 MW, 2.140 h
RAG Puchkirchen
gas storage facility
Gas storage facilities are the solution to renewable energy storage
STORING SUNSHINE 1312 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE
Rohöl-Aufsuchungs Aktiengesellschaft (RAG) is Austria’s
oldest oil and gas exploration and production company.
One of its core business activities is energy storage.
RAG has developed and operates its own storage
facilities at Puchkirchen and Aigelsbrunn. A joint venture
between RAG, Gazprom and Wingas operates the
Haidach gas storage facility, and another, with E.ON
Gas Storage, runs the 7Fields storage facility. Both
facilities straddle the border between the provinces of
Salzburg and Upper Austria.
Through its own storage capacity, which now totals
about 5.8 billion cubic metres, and its activities as an
operator, RAG makes a major contribution to security
of supply in Austria and Central Europe as a whole.
RAG is currently the fourth biggest gas storage operator
in Europe.
The company sees itself as a partner for renewables
and also develops geothermal energy projects.
RAG’s role in the Underground Sun Storage project:
RAG is the lead company and biggest investor in the
group that is undertaking this pioneering project. The
experienced RAG staff on the Underground Sun
Storage project team provide access to the company’s
extensive expertise in developing and commissioning
underground storage facilities.
RAG will mainly be concerned with developing, building
and operating an experimental facility for underground
storage of renewable energy converted into a mixture
of methane and hydrogen. Experts from RAG are also
involved in all of the other work packages that make up
the project. They are assisting with the provision of
test materials, and verification of the relevance of the
laboratory tests and simulations to real-life reservoir
conditions.
Montanuniversität Leoben (University of Leoben)
As the leading academic project partner, the University
of Leoben will contribute fundamental research and
simulations. It will use laboratory experiments and
proprietary simulation software to investigate the geo-
chemistry and model the reactive transport processes
concerned. Possibilities for de-mixing hydrogen and
natural gas will be tested in long-term experiments on
a set of three pressurised reactors filled with porous
materials. The influence of the hydrogen-methane
mixture on the properties of the materials used in pore
storage facilities (cement and various grades of steel)
will also be examined in laboratory experiments. In
addition, a risk assessment will be performed to identify
and evaluate the potential risks of underground
hydrogen storage. Finally, a life cycle assessment will
determine the environmental impacts of viable hydrogen
storage scenarios.
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life
Sciences, Vienna
Department for Agrobiotechnology, IFA Tulln
Institute of Environmental Biotechnology
The institute’s Geobiotechnology and Chemodynamics
working group under Prof. Andreas P. Loibner brings
microbiology expertise to the project, offering extensive
experience in the scientific description of microbial
consortia and their metabolic capabilities. Research is
carried out into microbial processes that take place
underground, which are then evaluated in terms of
their potential commercial use. As part of the Under-
ground Sun Storage project, the group is examining
microbial communities in natural gas storage facilities,
and assessing microbial changes in the gas and in
storage reservoirs following the addition of hydrogen.
Insights gained from laboratory experiments (work
package 3) will feed into implementation of the field
trial (work package 8).
Project Partners
Role of the Energy Institute at the JKU Linz in the Un-
derground Sun Storage project: The Energy Institute is
responsible for the economic, systems analysis and
legal research related to the Underground Sun Storage
project. Legal analysis is required to establish how
existing legislation may apply to storing hydrogen
underground and, once the findings of the technical
tests are available, to draw conclusions as to the need
for any changes in the law. The economic and systems
analysis is intimately connected with an examination
of the technical aspects of the project. This project
component will consist of detailed investigations of
means of integrating the technology within the existing
industrial and economic environment, and an assess-
ment of these options, as well as the likely systemic
effects of the technology, based on the outcomes of
technical and commercial analyses. A range of alter­
native solutions will also be considered as part of the
economic and systems analysis.
Axiom Angewandte Prozesstechnik was founded in
1992 as a specialist in industrial applications of memb-
rane technology. Besides employing reverse osmosis
technology in water purification projects, Axiom carries
out intensive research into gas permeation technology,
and has secured numerous patents.
In a joint research project with Vienna University of
Technology’s Institute of Chemical Engineering, Axiom
developed new applications for membrane gas separa-
tion. These included the recovery of helium and hydro-
gen, the separation of carbon dioxide from natural gas,
as well as biogas treatment. Axiom has steadily
extended this area of its expertise, and has applied it
with great commercial success, becoming a major
supplier for the membrane gas separation process and
a leading innovator in the field. Axiom sees membrane
technology as one of tomorrow’s key technologies.
.
VERBUND is Austria’s leading power company and one
of Europe’s largest producers of hydroelectricity. The
company was established in 1947 in Vienna and has
operations in power generation, transmission, trading
and sales. Verbund has been a listed company since
1988, and is 51% government-owned.
Approximately 90 percent of its electricity comes from
climate-friendly hydropower, making Verbund a reliable
supplier of clean energy in Austria and Germany. The
remainder of the generation mix comprises wind
power and solar thermal installations generating heat
and power.
Verbund’s role in the Underground Sun Storage project:
The energy sector is currently in the throes of a massive
transition. Long established structures, based on
central generators and decentralised consumers, are
disintegrating. Decentralised power generation is
gaining ground, at the expense of the traditional busi-
ness model whereby energy is delivered to consumers.
This is affecting the entire energy system, including the
power generation mix, the networks that locally produ-
ced energy is increasingly being fed into, and the
attitudes of consumers, who are becoming keen to
produce and store their own energy. Larger-scale con-
sumers, boasting increasingly mature technology, from
heat pumps and photovoltaic arrays to local battery
storage systems and electric vehicles, are also entering
the picture. In collaboration with the Energy Institute
at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, Verbund is
examining the economic implications of power to
gas as part of the Underground Sun Storage project. A
range of application scenarios will be explored and
assessed.
14 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE
NAFTA is a modern company with extensive 40-year
experience in natural gas storage and underground
facility development and, at the same time, it is the
Slovak leader in exploration and production of hydro-
carbons with this storage capacity currently stands at
2.6 bcm. NAFTA is participating in the “Underground
Sun Storage”-project with reactive transport modelling,
analysis of impact on subsurface completion, design
and supplying of compressor for parts of testbed facility.
It is the central mission of the DVGW to advance the
gas and water industry in both the technical and tech-
nical-scientific context. In pursuing this objective, the
DVGW bases its activities on the current requirements
of its members, and on the objectives declared in
the statutes, i.e. safety, hygiene, and environmental
protection.
The DVGW has been working for the gas and water
industry as an independent and unbiased technical-
scientific association since 1859, the objective being to
create a basis for the safe and technologically flawless
supply of gas and water. The Technical Rules issued by
the DVGW form the core of this basis. These rules have
been devised by the various DVGW bodies and enjoy
quasi-legal status, which at the same time ensures the
self-administration of the industry.
ETOGAS GmbH develops, builds and sells turnkey
power-to-gas plants that can be used to convert electri-
city into hydrogen and/or methane (synthetic natural
gas, SNG). The plant engineering firm is based in
Stuttgart and has 20 employees. It is a leading developer
of power to gas technology. In the Underground Sun
Storage project, Etogas is providing the centrepiece of
the facility, the electrolyser.
Hychico was established in 2006 and its main activities,
located in Argentine Patagonia, are power generation
from renewable sources and the production of hydro-
gen and oxygen. The Pilot Project, composed of an
Hydrogen Plant and a Wind Park, is currently producing
High Purity Hydrogen (120 Nm3/h and 99,998 % purity),
and the Wind Park is selling the energy through the
National Wholesale Electric Market through the national
grid. Our current challenge is to test the storage of
hydrogen in depleted gas reservoirs as a peaking facility
to fuel a turbine or gensets also with natural gas and to
study possible methanation processes in the well.
Cooperation Partners
The project is being financed by Austria’s Climate and
Energy Fund as part of its energy research programme.
Contact
Stephan Bauer
Project Manager
stephan.bauer@rag-austria.at
www.underground-sun-storage.at
RAG Rohöl-Aufsuchungs Aktiengesellschaft
Schwarzenbergplatz 16 · 1015 Wien
www.rag-austria.at · office@rag-austria.at
Credits
Published by RAG Rohöl-Aufsuchungs Aktiengesellschaft,
Schwarzenbergplatz 16, 1015 Vienna
Graphic design: Marianne Prutsch Werbeagentur
Pictures: RAG archives, steve.haider.com
Printed by: druck.at Druck- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH,
2544 Leobersdorf
Status: October 2015
Produced in accordance with
Austrian Ecolabel standards
UW 784

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RAG Sun Storage Project 2015

  • 2. STORING SUNSHINE 32 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE One of the keys to RAG’s success over its 80-year history has been the company’s commitment to ongoing research and development. Based on the foundations of our core business, oil and gas exploration and production, RAG is now the fourth- largest natural gas storage operator in Europe. The importance of large, efficient energy storage facilities to security of supply has become even clearer in light of the rapid expansion of renewable energy in Europe – technologies that we see ourselves as a partner to. Solar and wind power output is erratic because of changing weather conditions, meaning that generation cannot be adjusted in response to demand as is the case with conventional power stations. In some parts of Europe, such as the north of Austria’s Burgenland province, on windy days the amount of power generated by wind farms is already well in excess of demand. With wind and solar generating capacity growing, energy storage is becoming an increasingly pressing issue. And even Austria’s pumped storage plants in the Alps are no longer sufficient to meet this need. Power to gas has been widely discussed as a potential solution to the storage problem for some time. The technology uses surplus solar and wind power to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen can then either be directly injected into the gas grid, or con- verted into methane – the main constituent of natural gas – by means of a methanation process using carbon dioxide. At present direct hydrogen admixture is still the more economic option, due to its higher efficiency and the shortage of suitable sources of carbon dioxide. However, up to now there has been no research into the effects of hydrogen on the storage capacity employed by natural gas infrastructure – the under- ground storage facilities. A consortium led by RAG has addressed this issue, and is carrying out research into underground storage of a mixture of hydrogen and synthetic methane in the test facility that has now opened. The project was designa- ted a lead project by Austria’s Climate and Energy Fund after the first call for contributions to the e!mission.at programme in 2012. It is scheduled to be completed in 2016. “Gas can be transported in large quantities safely and out of sight via existing underground infrastructure, and held in environmentally friendly natural gas storage facilities that are also already in place. Austria’s geology is ideal for underground storage, so the country is able to make a major contribution to security of supply.” Markus Mitteregger, Chief Executive Officer, RAG 3 Foreword 4 Underground Sun Storage – storing energy from wind and solar power below ground 6 Focus areas 8 Schematic representation of an underground solar energy storage facility 10 Wind + sun = gas 12 Project partners 14 Cooperation Partners 15 Contact Contents Foreword Unique research project to investigate underground storage of wind and solar energy Markus Mitteregger, Chief Executive Officer Stephan Bauer, Project Manager
  • 3. STORING SUNSHINE 54 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE the natural gas infrastructure tolerates hydrogen. These have already shown that the existing infrastruc- ture seems to cope well with hydrogen content of up to 10%. Whether underground gas storage reservoirs can tolerate hydrogen is still unclear, and that is the main focus of this groundbreaking project. If the results are positive, the role of such facilities and their enormous storage capacity (more than 8 billion cu m in Austria, equivalent to 92,000 GWh) in the energy system of the future will change significantly, since they can be used to store and balance out supplies of renewable energy. Within this lead project, we are attempting to demon­ strate the ability of underground storage facilities to tolerate hydrogen content of up to 10% in gas, so that they do not have to limit the potential of the network as a whole. To achieve this aim, the project comprises laboratory experiments, simulations and a field trial conducted on an industrial scale at an existing storage reservoir with similar characteristics to Austria’s large storage facili- ties. The tests are being accompanied by a risk assess- ment, a life cycle assessment, and an analysis of the legal and economic framework conditions. Simulation tools developed in the project will be calibrated by collating the results from the laboratory tests, simula­ tions and the field trial. The goal is to enable similar investigations for many other storage facilities, all over the world. Finding a solution to the question of storing renewable energy is the key to maximising its contribution to the energy mix and achieving a substantial reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. In terms of the strategic development of energy systems for the future, the results of the pilot will be hugely significant for compa- nies, political decision-makers and public authorities. At present, the principal method available for storing large amounts of energy in the electricity grid is pumped storage. Austria’s pumped storage power stations can store the electricity demand of 4,600 households (based on average annual consumption), and inject power into the grid when needed. The quantity of energy stored in RAG’S gas storage facilities alone is more than 400 times that amount. Pumped storage vs. Gas storageUnderground Sun Storage – storing energy from wind and solar power below ground Harvesting, storing and supplying solar energy: an unprecedented pilot project run by RAG is currently testing this groundbreaking approach to energy production and storage. Storage of hydrogen produced using solar energy is being trialled at a small depleted gas reservoir in Pilsbach, Upper Austria. Energy from renewable sources that can be retained thanks to storage offers the only straight replacement for conventional energy – and Austria’s gas storage facilities provide the necessary infrastructure. The project is being financed by Austria’s Climate and Energy Fund. Project outline In most cases, energy from renewable sources lacks flexibility. Neither wind nor solar power can be con­ trolled to meet actual energy demand. But the electricity grid cannot store energy, so grid operators have to adjust generation precisely to demand. If it were possible to store large amounts of power and inject it back into the grid when needed, generation would no longer be tied to demand. That is why huge energy storage facilities are essential in a world that relies on renewables. In nature, carbon and hydrogen have evolved as primary sources of energy, and the main substances in which energy is stored. We have taken this process as a model and imitated it with power to gas technology. Using electrolysis, excess energy generated from renewables is transformed into hydro- gen, which can be stored in the natural gas network. A range of tests are being conducted to investigate how Pumped storage power station approx. 4.600 RAG gas storage facility 2.000.000
  • 4. Focus areas Work package 7: Design and Construction of the Testbed This package comprises the design and construction of a pilot facility for in-situ testing of the storage of hydrogen-methane mixtures at an actual storage reservoir. The planned test facility must also be capable of demonstrating the power to gas principle, including its application to energy storage. Work package 8: Operation of the Testbed The objective of this work package is to carry out a field trial of storage of hydro- gen-methane mixtures at an actual storage reservoir, located 1,000 m below ground. Gas flow rates and gas composition will be measured throughout the trial and balanced out on withdrawal. Microbial analysis and corrosion tests will also be conducted during the trial, and the memb- rane module produced by Axiom will be tested under real operating conditions. Work package 9: Risk and Life Cycle Assessment A comprehensive assessment of the risks associated with combined methane and hydrogen storage will be performed, as well as an evaluation of projected econo- mic and environmental performance of the pilot project over its entire life cycle. Work package 5: Materials and Corrosion This work package involves conducting laboratory tests to determine whether ad- mixture of hydrogen results in corrosion of the steel grades typically used in the storage facility under normal operating conditions, and whether there is a possi- bility of changes occurring in the cemen- tation of the storage wells. Work package 10: Economic and Legal Assessment The Energy Institute at the Johannes Kepler University Linz is leading this work package, and execute it in cooperation with Verbund and RAG. The economic assessment involves looking at the various potential applications of the storage tech- nology in the context of overall power to gas systems, so as to arrive at a range of different market roles and combinations of business models. The work will also in­ clude analysing the existing legal system with a view to identifying obstacles to the technology and proposing future improve- ments to the legislative framework. Work package 6: Hydrogen Separation Work in this package forms the basis for setting up a pilot plant to separate hydro- gen from natural gas mixtures using membrane permeation. Numerical models and laboratory-scale experiments will provide support for configuration of the high pressure membrane module, and selection of the right membrane type for the separation process. A work plan divided into ten work packages has been developed to formulate and answer the research questions raised by this project. 6 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE STORING SUNSHINE 7 Work package 1: Project Management The tasks involved in this work package include managing communications bet- ween the various work packages, organi- sing the public relations effort, dissemina- ting the research findings, communicating with funders and reporting on the project. Work package 2: Geochemistry and Reactive Transportmodelling This package investigates whether hydro- gen admixture would lead to changes in the chemistry of the reservoir rock and fluids. Another research focus is reactive transport modelling. The work will be based on laboratory experiments and simulations. Work package 4: Demixing Natural Gas and Hydrogen The aim of this work package is to charac- terise the behaviour of the natural gas- hydrogen mixture under static and dynamic reservoir conditions. Potential demixing processes are being investigated, and here, too, laboratory experiments are employed. Work package 3: Microbial processes in Hydrogen exposed Reservoirs Tests in this work package will deliver insights into microbiological transforma- tions in the natural gas storage facility. Molecular biology techniques will be used to characterise microorganisms in forma- tion water in the reservoir. A variety of gas mixtures (comprising methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and sulphur compounds) are being applied to core samples from the reservoirs in lab reactors, with gas components and pressure changes mea- sured at regular intervals. The findings will provide information on the impact of hydrogen content on metabolic processes in microorganisms.
  • 5. STORING SUNSHINE 98 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE Gas reservoir Electrolysis Membrane module Compressor station Solar flower Control centre, measurement station Wellhead Well Reservoir 01 0502 0603 0704 08 0 m 500 m 1.000 m Grain size of approx. 0.5 mm Pores in the thin section Schematic representation of Underground Sun Storage 01. Electrolysis In this process, electricity is used to produce hydrogen. After the well water is purified in the reverse osmosis plant, it is split into hydrogen and oxygen by applying a direct current. The hydrogen is dried and mixed with natural gas, before the mixture is directed to the compressor station. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a by-product. Electrolysis of water comprises two half reactions, which take place at the two electrodes, the cathode and the anode. At the cathode: 2 H2O + 2 e- H2 + 2 OH At the anode: 6 H2O O2 + 4 H3O+ + 4 e- The resulting overall redox reaction is: 2 H2O(l) electrolysis 2 H2(g) + O2 (g) The Underground Sun Storage project uses alkaline water electrolysis, where potassium hydroxide is added to enhance the conductivity of the water and boost process efficiency. 02. Membrane module Hydrogen and natural gas can be separated again in the membrane plant. The membranes used are about 100 times more permeable for hydrogen than they are for methane. This separation concept enables the natural gas to be conditioned and the hydrogen to be recovered in one step. 03. Compressor station A compressor station is needed to bring the methane- hydrogen mixture to the required pressure before it is introduced into the storage reservoir. The planned maximum storage pressure is 80 bar. 04. Solar flower The sunflower-shaped photovoltaic plant provides part of the power required to produce the hydrogen. It is intended to symbolise the fact that storing renewable energy is the main focus of this project. 05. Control centre and measurement station All information flows to the control centre, where measurement data are processed and dispatched for evaluation. Under normal operating conditions, the facility runs autonomously, and is monitored from RAG’s offices in Gampern. Staff are only required on-site for a changeover from injection of gas to with- drawal, or under special circumstances. 06. Wellhead Gas is conveyed to the wellhead and injected into the natural rock formations via the well. 07. Well Injection and withdrawal take place via the well. 08. Reservoir Millions of years ago, natural gas reservoirs formed in the pores of sandstone, sealed beneath layers of clay over 100 m thick. They offer space to store large amounts of energy sustainably, safely and out of sight. 01 02 03 04 05 05 07 06 08 Water Cathode Anode Hydrogen Oxygen Technical specifications of the facility Reservoir Max. pressure 80 bar Temperature 34 °C Depth 1,027 m Working gas volume 1.8 mn cu m Reservoir volume 6.0 mn cu m Electrolysis Power 600 kW 120 cu m H2/h
  • 6. STORING SUNSHINE 1110 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE Eco-friendly technology Secure, long-term energy supplies that are economically viable, environmentally sustainable and socially res- ponsible are a high priority on the European political agenda, as is reducing the continually growing depen- dency on energy imports. Energy companies and research institutes in Austria and Germany are working flat out on new approaches to large-scale electricity storage. The power to gas stra- tegy is particularly promising. This involves converting renewable electricity into gas and using existing gas infrastructure to transport and store it. The principle behind this new, environmentally friendly technology could hardly be simpler. Surplus solar and wind power is used to split water into oxygen and hydrogen by means of electrolysis. The hydrogen can then be stored for later use, for example as primary energy in fuel cells. But a further step is also possible: in metha- nation, the hydrogen is reacted with carbon dioxide (CO2). The CO2 can be drawn from the atmosphere or it can come from a biogas or industrial plant. The product of the process is renewable synthetic natural gas. Methane is the main constituent of natural gas, making up as much as 98% of its content. It can be injected into the gas grid and used in the same way as conventional natural gas to fuel domestic space, for water heating and industrial processes, as a renewable fuel for gas-powered vehicles, or alternatively for gas-fired electricity generation. The process gives rise to no emissions apart from the oxygen released when the water is split. Today the efficiency of the conversion process is already about 60% – a big step forward in view of the fact that surplus electricity is often not used at all owing to the lack of storage capacity, and instead wind turbines are idled or whole wind farms taken off the grid. If the hydrogen can be used directly, the efficiency rate is even higher. Using existing gas infrastructure Thanks to electrolysis and methanation, electricity can be converted into hydrogen and into natural gas, making large-scale power storage possible for the first time. The process solves one of the biggest problems posed by electricity storage – shortage of space. It means we can simply turn to existing natural gas infra- structure, in the shape of the pipeline grid and large storage facilities. Instead of developing and rolling out expensive and elaborate new storage technologies, the power would be transformed into synthetic natural gas and stored in depleted gas reservoirs. “Europe is committed to renewables, but we need reliable energy supplies around the clock. Gas can pull that off. Cutting edge power to gas technology has the potential to make trans- porting and storing solar and wind energy affordable, which would make them constantly available. The infrastructure is already in place – we have the pipelines and storage facilities to do the job.” Markus Mitteregger, Chief Executive Officer, RAG Wind + Sun = Gas This is the equation behind power to gas, an innovative technology that forms the basis for the Underground Sun Storage research project. Power to gas could hold the key to affordable transpor- tation and storage of large quantities of solar and wind energy, making it available around the clock. Some­ times the wind does not blow or the sun goes in, while at other times surplus power is produced. For their share of the energy mix to keep on growing over the long term, renewables need a means of compensating for fluctuations in output. Huge potential Intermittent renewable electricity output is not the only problem. Something will also have to be done with all the excess power generated by giant wind and solar parks at times when demand is low. This surplus energy needs to be stored so that it can be made available during peak periods. If we want 100 percent of the electricity generated in Austria to come from renewable sources, we will need storage with capacity over 100 times greater than the potential offered by pumped storage. (Source: Vienna University of Technology, ESEA/EA (ed.): ‘Super-4-Micro-Grid’, research project final report, Vienna 2011). The combined capacity of pumped storage plants and battery storage used to date is far from sufficient. Additionally, such facilities can only release electricity. The answer is gas. Besides power generation, it can also be used for heating, in vehicles and as a raw material. The gas transportation and storage infrastructure in place has all the makings of a storage system for green power. Gas Power Plant / CHP Unit Households, Industry, Mobility, CNG Underground Sun Storage Power Grid Electrolysis Methanation H2 +CO2 CH4 O2 H2O Gas Grid Wind Power Solar Energy 5.700 MW, 2.140 h RAG Puchkirchen gas storage facility 5 MW 1 h Large-scale battery storage 100 MW 0 MW 200 MW 400 MW 500 MW 600 MW 26.04. 28.04. 30.04. 02.05. 04.05. 06.05. 08.05.2014 700 MW 800 MW Installedwindpowercapacity isequivalenttothreeDanubehydropowerplants Electricity consumption in Burgenland Electricity injection in Burgenland principally wind power 750 MW, 6 h If every car in Burgenland were an electric vehicle (180.000 cars) 48 MW, 58 h Total capacity of pumped storage power stations in Lower Austria 5 MW, 1 h Large-scale battery storage 5.700 MW, 2.140 h RAG Puchkirchen gas storage facility Gas storage facilities are the solution to renewable energy storage
  • 7. STORING SUNSHINE 1312 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE Rohöl-Aufsuchungs Aktiengesellschaft (RAG) is Austria’s oldest oil and gas exploration and production company. One of its core business activities is energy storage. RAG has developed and operates its own storage facilities at Puchkirchen and Aigelsbrunn. A joint venture between RAG, Gazprom and Wingas operates the Haidach gas storage facility, and another, with E.ON Gas Storage, runs the 7Fields storage facility. Both facilities straddle the border between the provinces of Salzburg and Upper Austria. Through its own storage capacity, which now totals about 5.8 billion cubic metres, and its activities as an operator, RAG makes a major contribution to security of supply in Austria and Central Europe as a whole. RAG is currently the fourth biggest gas storage operator in Europe. The company sees itself as a partner for renewables and also develops geothermal energy projects. RAG’s role in the Underground Sun Storage project: RAG is the lead company and biggest investor in the group that is undertaking this pioneering project. The experienced RAG staff on the Underground Sun Storage project team provide access to the company’s extensive expertise in developing and commissioning underground storage facilities. RAG will mainly be concerned with developing, building and operating an experimental facility for underground storage of renewable energy converted into a mixture of methane and hydrogen. Experts from RAG are also involved in all of the other work packages that make up the project. They are assisting with the provision of test materials, and verification of the relevance of the laboratory tests and simulations to real-life reservoir conditions. Montanuniversität Leoben (University of Leoben) As the leading academic project partner, the University of Leoben will contribute fundamental research and simulations. It will use laboratory experiments and proprietary simulation software to investigate the geo- chemistry and model the reactive transport processes concerned. Possibilities for de-mixing hydrogen and natural gas will be tested in long-term experiments on a set of three pressurised reactors filled with porous materials. The influence of the hydrogen-methane mixture on the properties of the materials used in pore storage facilities (cement and various grades of steel) will also be examined in laboratory experiments. In addition, a risk assessment will be performed to identify and evaluate the potential risks of underground hydrogen storage. Finally, a life cycle assessment will determine the environmental impacts of viable hydrogen storage scenarios. University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna Department for Agrobiotechnology, IFA Tulln Institute of Environmental Biotechnology The institute’s Geobiotechnology and Chemodynamics working group under Prof. Andreas P. Loibner brings microbiology expertise to the project, offering extensive experience in the scientific description of microbial consortia and their metabolic capabilities. Research is carried out into microbial processes that take place underground, which are then evaluated in terms of their potential commercial use. As part of the Under- ground Sun Storage project, the group is examining microbial communities in natural gas storage facilities, and assessing microbial changes in the gas and in storage reservoirs following the addition of hydrogen. Insights gained from laboratory experiments (work package 3) will feed into implementation of the field trial (work package 8). Project Partners Role of the Energy Institute at the JKU Linz in the Un- derground Sun Storage project: The Energy Institute is responsible for the economic, systems analysis and legal research related to the Underground Sun Storage project. Legal analysis is required to establish how existing legislation may apply to storing hydrogen underground and, once the findings of the technical tests are available, to draw conclusions as to the need for any changes in the law. The economic and systems analysis is intimately connected with an examination of the technical aspects of the project. This project component will consist of detailed investigations of means of integrating the technology within the existing industrial and economic environment, and an assess- ment of these options, as well as the likely systemic effects of the technology, based on the outcomes of technical and commercial analyses. A range of alter­ native solutions will also be considered as part of the economic and systems analysis. Axiom Angewandte Prozesstechnik was founded in 1992 as a specialist in industrial applications of memb- rane technology. Besides employing reverse osmosis technology in water purification projects, Axiom carries out intensive research into gas permeation technology, and has secured numerous patents. In a joint research project with Vienna University of Technology’s Institute of Chemical Engineering, Axiom developed new applications for membrane gas separa- tion. These included the recovery of helium and hydro- gen, the separation of carbon dioxide from natural gas, as well as biogas treatment. Axiom has steadily extended this area of its expertise, and has applied it with great commercial success, becoming a major supplier for the membrane gas separation process and a leading innovator in the field. Axiom sees membrane technology as one of tomorrow’s key technologies. . VERBUND is Austria’s leading power company and one of Europe’s largest producers of hydroelectricity. The company was established in 1947 in Vienna and has operations in power generation, transmission, trading and sales. Verbund has been a listed company since 1988, and is 51% government-owned. Approximately 90 percent of its electricity comes from climate-friendly hydropower, making Verbund a reliable supplier of clean energy in Austria and Germany. The remainder of the generation mix comprises wind power and solar thermal installations generating heat and power. Verbund’s role in the Underground Sun Storage project: The energy sector is currently in the throes of a massive transition. Long established structures, based on central generators and decentralised consumers, are disintegrating. Decentralised power generation is gaining ground, at the expense of the traditional busi- ness model whereby energy is delivered to consumers. This is affecting the entire energy system, including the power generation mix, the networks that locally produ- ced energy is increasingly being fed into, and the attitudes of consumers, who are becoming keen to produce and store their own energy. Larger-scale con- sumers, boasting increasingly mature technology, from heat pumps and photovoltaic arrays to local battery storage systems and electric vehicles, are also entering the picture. In collaboration with the Energy Institute at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, Verbund is examining the economic implications of power to gas as part of the Underground Sun Storage project. A range of application scenarios will be explored and assessed.
  • 8. 14 UNDERGROUND.SUN.STORAGE NAFTA is a modern company with extensive 40-year experience in natural gas storage and underground facility development and, at the same time, it is the Slovak leader in exploration and production of hydro- carbons with this storage capacity currently stands at 2.6 bcm. NAFTA is participating in the “Underground Sun Storage”-project with reactive transport modelling, analysis of impact on subsurface completion, design and supplying of compressor for parts of testbed facility. It is the central mission of the DVGW to advance the gas and water industry in both the technical and tech- nical-scientific context. In pursuing this objective, the DVGW bases its activities on the current requirements of its members, and on the objectives declared in the statutes, i.e. safety, hygiene, and environmental protection. The DVGW has been working for the gas and water industry as an independent and unbiased technical- scientific association since 1859, the objective being to create a basis for the safe and technologically flawless supply of gas and water. The Technical Rules issued by the DVGW form the core of this basis. These rules have been devised by the various DVGW bodies and enjoy quasi-legal status, which at the same time ensures the self-administration of the industry. ETOGAS GmbH develops, builds and sells turnkey power-to-gas plants that can be used to convert electri- city into hydrogen and/or methane (synthetic natural gas, SNG). The plant engineering firm is based in Stuttgart and has 20 employees. It is a leading developer of power to gas technology. In the Underground Sun Storage project, Etogas is providing the centrepiece of the facility, the electrolyser. Hychico was established in 2006 and its main activities, located in Argentine Patagonia, are power generation from renewable sources and the production of hydro- gen and oxygen. The Pilot Project, composed of an Hydrogen Plant and a Wind Park, is currently producing High Purity Hydrogen (120 Nm3/h and 99,998 % purity), and the Wind Park is selling the energy through the National Wholesale Electric Market through the national grid. Our current challenge is to test the storage of hydrogen in depleted gas reservoirs as a peaking facility to fuel a turbine or gensets also with natural gas and to study possible methanation processes in the well. Cooperation Partners The project is being financed by Austria’s Climate and Energy Fund as part of its energy research programme. Contact Stephan Bauer Project Manager stephan.bauer@rag-austria.at www.underground-sun-storage.at
  • 9. RAG Rohöl-Aufsuchungs Aktiengesellschaft Schwarzenbergplatz 16 · 1015 Wien www.rag-austria.at · office@rag-austria.at Credits Published by RAG Rohöl-Aufsuchungs Aktiengesellschaft, Schwarzenbergplatz 16, 1015 Vienna Graphic design: Marianne Prutsch Werbeagentur Pictures: RAG archives, steve.haider.com Printed by: druck.at Druck- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH, 2544 Leobersdorf Status: October 2015 Produced in accordance with Austrian Ecolabel standards UW 784