Empty North Sea oil fields could store enough green hydrogen to power the country for seven years - The Conversation
A study reported in The Conversation finds that depleted oil and gas fields in the North Sea could hold enough green hydrogen to supply the United Kingdom’s power needs for seven years. The assessment focuses on existing geological formations already mapped and drilled during prior hydrocarbon extraction.
Large-scale hydrogen storage of this type would connect intermittent renewable generation with steady end-use demand across electricity, heat, and transport. Grid operators, solar and heat-pump installers, and EV charging networks would then work within a storage resource that can be scheduled and balanced, an activity increasingly supported by automated monitoring and control systems.
Any use of these fields would still require separate evaluation of well integrity, hydrogen purity standards, and connection to onshore electrolysers and pipelines.