Gasunie and Nobian take next step for HyStock hydrogen storage facility

Last Thursday 13 February, Executive Board member of Gasunie Hans Coenen and Philipp Polenz, COO of Nobian, sealed with their signatures the next step in mutual cooperation for the successful and safe realization of the underground hydrogen storage facility at Zuidwending.

As part of the national hydrogen infrastructure, Gasunie subsidiary EnergyStock is preparing four salt caverns for hydrogen storage over the next few years. The first of these will be ready around 2031; the next three will first be developed by Nobian before EnergyStock can make them suitable for hydrogen storage. Nobian and EnergyStock have been working together on this HyStock project for some time. So-called evaluation drilling allows Nobian to determine the exact composition of the salt so that we can be sure whether it is suitable for hydrogen storage.

The moment of signing follows after the final decisions for the permits for the evaluation and deep drilling at Zuidwending have been published by the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth and the objection period has expired. Now the ordering of materials and the planning and execution of the drilling can begin.