In the heart of China’s energy transition, a groundbreaking study led by Hengfei Wei from the National Institute of Clean and Low-Carbon Energy in Beijing is shedding new light on the untapped potential of deep underground storage space (DUSS). Published in ‘Meitian dizhi yu kantan’ (translated to ‘Geology and Prospecting’), the research delves into the historical evolution, current status, and future prospects of DUSS utilization, offering a roadmap for China’s low-carbon energy future.
The global shift from high-carbon, polluting energy sources to cleaner, renewable alternatives has brought DUSS into the spotlight. These vast, subterranean spaces, once overlooked, are now seen as crucial for storing energy and mitigating the intermittency of renewable sources like wind and solar power. “The utilization of low-carbon, clean energy typified by natural gas, wind power, solar energy, and hydrogen energy needs to be coupled with deep underground storage space (DUSS) to offset their regional constraints and instability,” Wei explains.
The study traces the global journey of DUSS utilization, identifying three distinct stages: the initial development phase from 1915 to 1945, the rapid expansion from 1946 to 1998, and China’s catch-up and synchronous development phase from 1999 to the present. Despite a relatively short history of large-scale DUSS utilization, China has made significant strides, particularly in developing theories and technologies for constructing layered salt rock reservoirs and underground water reservoirs in coal mines.
However, China’s DUSS landscape is not without its challenges. The country currently lacks completed underground gas storage (UGS) facilities in aquifers and faces hurdles in achieving theoretical and technical breakthroughs in storing hydrogen, helium, and oil in salt caverns, as well as CO2 geological storage in saline aquifers. Wei emphasizes the need for enhanced top-level design by the Chinese government and better coordination among various departments to address these issues.
The commercial implications of this research are vast. As China strives to achieve carbon neutrality and peak carbon dioxide emissions, DUSS utilization could provide significant support for the large-scale development of industries including natural gas, wind and solar power, green hydrogen, and carbon sequestration. The construction of underground storage facilities could reach a 100-billion industrial scale, fostering new technologies and industries and representing significant industrial innovation points for the development of new quality productive forces.
The study’s findings underscore the importance of DUSS in China’s energy transition and offer a compelling vision for the future. As Wei and his team continue to push the boundaries of DUSS utilization, the energy sector can look forward to a more stable, sustainable, and innovative landscape. The research published in ‘Meitian dizhi yu kantan’ serves as a beacon, guiding China and the world towards a low-carbon future.
