This Wales Climate Week (3 – 7 November), we’re shining a light and exploring how hydrogen storage could help address the shortfall in energy storage solutions of the future.
Head of Net Zero & Sustainability at Wales & West Utilities (WWU), Matt Hindle explains how the gas emergency and pipeline service is leveraging its existing infrastructure and expertise to pioneer hydrogen storage solutions that can serve both local communities and national ambitions.
Matt explains:
As the UK progresses its net zero ambitions, it’s becoming clearer that our gas system is a strategic asset in the country’s energy transition. By using our existing infrastructure with greener gasses like hydrogen and biomethane, we can supply hard-to-abate industries with the energy they need and balance the power grid when demand is at its highest. But to decarbonise the gas system one critical piece of the puzzle remains underexplored: hydrogen storage.
While much of the national conversation has focused on production and end-use, the ability to store hydrogen—safely, flexibly, and affordably—is emerging as a linchpin for a resilient energy system. Recent government policy updates, including the Hydrogen Transport and Storage Business Models and the £500 million commitment to regional hydrogen infrastructure, signal a growing recognition of this need.
Why hydrogen storage matters
Renewables like wind and solar are an essential part of the green transition, but intermittent and therefore unreliable at times of peak demand or when weather conditions are not conducive to energy generation.
Today, around 85% of homes are connected to the natural gas network. Natural gas plays a crucial role in heating homes, but also in power generation and resilience - on December 12 last year, this reached a peak with gas providing 65 per cent of power generation for the country. The UK has a total natural gas storage capacity equivalent to 7.5 days of peak winter demand.
As the UK enters colder months, the pressure on our energy system intensifies, and meeting demand becomes more challenging. Hydrogen can store surplus renewable energy and release it when needed, acting as a long-duration buffer and a dispatchable power source: just as natural gas today is ready to use when homes, businesses and power stations need it.
Unlike other renewables, hydrogen can be stored seasonally and transported using existing gas networks. This makes it uniquely suited to support industrial decarbonisation, grid balancing, and energy security for Wales and the south west of England – and beyond.
WWU’s vision for hydrogen storage
Our portfolio of hydrogen storage projects shows how infrastructure innovation can unlock system-wide benefits. We’re currently running three complementary projects which investigate the potential for hydrogen storage across both urban and rural landscapes:
Decentralised Hydrogen Storage
Our modular, non-geological storage technologies—such as pressure vessels and tanks—enable local networks to manage peak demand. These solutions revive the concept of gas holders for a hydrogen future, offering diurnal balancing without relying solely on pipeline linepack.
High-Pressure Vessel Feasibility
We’re assessing the potential to repurpose existing high-pressure methane vessels for hydrogen, including material compatibility and embrittlement testing. This work supports transitional blending strategies (5%, 20%, 100%) and helps avoid stranded assets.
HyWISE: Underground Storage Mapping
This project is identifying intermediate-scale underground storage sites across Wales and the south west, evaluating technologies like lined rock caverns and subsurface silos. HyWISE ensures that hydrogen storage is not only technically viable but also economically and environmentally sustainable.
The UK government’s Hydrogen Strategy and recent updates have laid the groundwork for a hydrogen economy:
- The Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HAR1 and HAR2), supporting up to 1GW of low-carbon hydrogen production by 2025 and 10GW by 2030.
- Removal of the Climate Change Levy on electricity used for electrolysis, lowering production costs.
- Plans for a core hydrogen network and blending trials in the National Transmission System, with successful pilots already underway.
These policy signals are not just encouraging, but also provide the certainty needed for investment and growth.
Hydrogen storage is more than a technical solution - it’s a strategic enabler:
- Grid flexibility: Hydrogen can balance both gas and electricity networks, smoothing out fluctuations and supporting renewable use.
- Cost efficiency: Storage reduces the need for more production and transport infrastructure.
- Consumer protection: Stored hydrogen can mitigate price spikes during high-demand periods or geopolitical uncertainty.
- Energy security: It ensures continuity during supply disruptions, safeguarding vulnerable consumers and critical services
Protection and growth for Welsh industry: Working with its partners in the South and North Wales industrial clusters (SWIC and NEWID), WWU aims to deliver dedicated hydrogen infrastructure to decarbonise industry and safeguard thousands of jobs. Combined, HyLine Cymru and HyLine Gogledd could save 5.2 million tonnes of CO2 per year, with the potential to add billions of GVA alongside cluster partners
Creating a resilient energy future
As the UK scales its hydrogen economy, storage must be treated as a strategic imperative - not an afterthought. At WWU, we’re committed to building the infrastructure and insights needed to make hydrogen storage a cornerstone of the UK’s energy future. Hydrogen storage bridges ambition and delivery - turning innovation into impact.