Storengy Germany will receive EU funding of up to €4.5 million from the European Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) fund for the implementation of studies. This is intended to advance the further development of the SaltHy hydrogen storage project in Harsefeld in the Stade region of Lower Saxony.
CEF is a funding instrument that aims to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness in Europe through targeted investments in cross-border infrastructure. It supports the development of projects in the fields of transport, energy and digital services. The funding is aimed at so-called Projects of Common Interest (PCI), a status that SaltHy has also received. These projects are of particular importance for the EU’s energy infrastructure. In the call for funding for PCI projects in the energy sector, Storengy 2024 applied for funding for studies, i.e. preparatory measures for project implementation.
The funding will be used for predefined work packages in the areas of engineering (underground, surface and brine plant), approval procedures and stakeholder management as well as risk, HSE and quality management. The project volume for the studies in these areas amounts to a total of around €9 million, 50% of which can now be covered by the funding.
Matthieu Keime, head of hydrogen storage at Storengy Germany, says: ‘Thanks to the funding from the Connecting Europe Facility, we can take the next step in the implementation of our SaltHy project. Thanks to its location at the intersection of import routes from Denmark and the Netherlands, our hydrogen storage facility in Harsefeld will have an impact beyond Germany’s borders. That is why the EU is funding the study phase of our project. Such subsidies are an important building block for the ramp-up of a European hydrogen economy.’
Hydrogen will play a crucial role in the energy mix of the future, especially in the decarbonisation of industry and the achievement of European and German climate targets. Hydrogen storage systems are essential for a successful H2 market ramp-up. Without storage solutions, it will not be possible to bring the volatile production of green hydrogen in particular into line with consumption and to secure the energy supply.
Storengy Deutschland plans to build an underground hydrogen storage facility in salt caverns near its existing natural gas storage facility in Harsefeld, Lower Saxony, in the Stade region. Two caverns, each with a working gas volume of around 7,000 tonnes, are to be built, with the aim of storing 100% hydrogen. The hydrogen storage facility with the first cavern is scheduled to be commissioned in 2032, and the second cavern is expected to be commissioned in 2034. According to this, the conversion of the existing natural gas storage facility to H2 storage is planned.
