Mitsubishi, Texas Brine to explore salt cavern hydrogen storage

Mitsubishi Power Americas and Texas Brine Company have signed an agreement to evaluate the potential of using new and existing salt caverns for hydrogen storage.

The two companies will look at both existing and new salt caverns, and will carry out detailed engineering and design studies for hydrogen storage. They will look at greenfield applications that could benefit from hydrogen storage, and brine and dry salt production. The studies will initially focus on Texas Brine’s existing sites. Salt caverns are already widely used for natural gas storage.

The collaboration is part of Mitsubishi’s decarbonisation efforts and will expand the company’s capability to store hydrogen safely and cost effectively in salt caverns in strategic locations across North America. Texas Brine has sites in New York, Virginia, Texas and Louisiana that Mitsubishi says will allow it access to major load centres in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and the Gulf Coast. Mitsubishi is already investing in hydrogen-ready gas turbines and wants to position large-scale hydrogen storage nearby.

‘To bring about an energy transition for a net zero carbon future, we have to work with partners. It takes innovative partnerships and cross-sector teams to decarbonise multiple verticals. Our alliance with Texas Brine supports our mission to provide power generation and energy storage solutions to our customers, empowering them to affordably and reliably combat climate change and advance human prosperity,’ says Paul Browning, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas.

Source: Tank Storage Magazine