Hydrogen Storage in Alberta's Salt Caverns
Dr. Dehghanpour’s research team are collaborating with the industry to evaluate and optimize hydrogen storage in salt caverns developed by the solution mining process in Alberta’s salt formations. Alberta’s salt caverns have been historically used to store natural gas, petrochemical products, and waste materials by energy and utility companies. However, storing small and reactive hydrogen molecules in such systems with frequent injection and withdrawal cycles introduces significant technical challenges that are the focus of the proposed project.
The research team are currently developing a research program to conduct state-of-the-art laboratory experiments on rock samples from different salt formations across Alberta to measure, visualize, and model hydrogen-rock-brine interactions under subsurface conditions. The laboratory and modelling results will be translated into practice by designing, building, and operating safe and efficient energy storage facilities in Canada.
