In Zuidwending, the HyStock project is developing large-scale hydrogen storage in underground salt caverns. A total of four caverns will be built for hydrogen storage.

Underground hydrogen storage makes it possible to store sustainable energy at times when supply exceeds demand and use it when supply is insufficient. This prevents waste and ensures a stable and flexible energy system. 

The Netherlands must become more sustainable to be climate neutral by 2050. This requires new forms of sustainable energy and smart solutions for storing it. Hydrogen plays a key role in this.

Green hydrogen, produced from renewable sources, is an indispensable link in a flexible, robust, and CO₂-free energy system of the future. It can be used in sectors that are difficult to make sustainable, such as heavy industry and transport. In addition, a surplus of sustainable electricity – for example on sunny or windy days – can be converted into hydrogen via electrolysis. This hydrogen can then be stored for later use. 

Hydrogen storage ensures a balance between the demand for and supply of hydrogen. An important advantage of hydrogen storage is that it provides dispatchable supply of power. Stored hydrogen can be used quickly and flexibly as fuel in power plants when demand for electricity is high but the supply from solar and wind is low. Hydrogen storage thus contributes to the stability and reliability of the electricity grid and to the security of hydrogen supply. 

From both a technical and economic point of view, salt caverns are a promising alternative for hydrogen storage. Caverns are suitable for both short-term and long-term storage and make it possible to quickly store and release large quantities of hydrogen. They thus function as a ‘lung’ in the hydrogen network and help to balance hydrogen production and consumption.

The project HyStock builds on EnergyStock's many years of experience in the safe storage of natural gas in salt caverns and applies that expertise to hydrogen. The large salt mass surrounding the cavern provides an excellent natural seal. This allows gases such as natural gas and, in the future, hydrogen to be stored safely and for long periods of time. This storage method is already being used successfully internationally, including in the United States and the United Kingdom, which underlines its technical feasibility.

In Zuidwending, EnergyStock has been using cavities in the salt layers for the storage of natural gas since 2011. The strictest safety standards are adhered to and there is close cooperation with regulators, scientists, and specialized partners. At the Zuidwending site, research and demonstrations are being used to gradually develop a validated storage method. In this way, we are ensuring that hydrogen storage is not only technically feasible, but also demonstrably safe and reliable.