Launch of the FrHyGe project

On March 20, 2024, the European consortium met to officially launch the FrHyGe* project, supported and subsidized by the European Union via the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. The aim of this €43 million project is to validate underground hydrogen storage in saline cavities on an industrial scale. The FrHyGe project will set up a demonstrator at the Manosque underground storage site and study the replicability of this technology at the Harsefeld site in Germany, and more widely across Europe.

*FrHyGE: Full qualification in France of large-scale HYdrogen underground storage and replication from Germany to all European countries

A large-scale demonstrator for underground hydrogen storage in Europe

The FrHyGe project has 4 objectives:

• Converting a salt cavern into natural gas (or brine) for hydrogen storage,
• Demonstrate the feasibility of injecting and withdrawing 100 tonnes of hydrogen over cycles ranging from 1 hour to 1 week in converted cavities at the Manosque site,
• Study market penetration and the value chain, and prepare for replication at other sites in France and Germany, then on a European scale,
• Assess environmental impact, safety and regulations to prepare for deployment on the GeoH2 (Manosque) and SaltHy (Harsefeld) projects.

As part of the FrHyGe project, project coordinator Storengy and its partners will carry out technical, economic, regulatory, environmental and safety studies. They will draw up a roadmap for the fastest possible deployment of the conversion process and the creation of salt cavities, thus contributing to the creation of a genuine European hydrogen storage and transport backbone.

With a total budget of 43 million Euros, including 20 million financed by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, this project opens up new prospects for the development of renewable hydrogen storage in Europe.

RICE is working for GRTgaz on this project, bringing its expertise in Gas Quality, Risk Analysis and Hazardous Phenomena Modeling.

Project timetable

This project, launched on March^1, 2024, will continue over several years:

• 2024 - 2025 :
  • Studies and analyses for the implementation of the demonstrator at the Manosque site and for the replicability of the technology at the SaltHy site (Harsefeld, Germany).
• 2026 - 2027
  • Construction period
• 2027 - 2029 :
  • 100 injections and withdrawals in two cavities at Géométhane's Manosque site
  • Study and analysis of hydrogen reactions at different pressures
  • Comparison of predictions with theoretical results

Ultimately, in the commercial operation phase, the two caverns at Manosque will store 6,000 tonnes of hydrogen. At Harsefeld, a storage capacity of 5,200 tonnes is planned.

"The project is supported by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and its members."