ESB and dCarbonX have launched ‘Green Hydrogen @ Kinsale,’ an integrated project to develop large-scale storage for green hydrogen off the coast of County Cork. (Logo quoted from Yahoo’s image)

 

This project – pending licence and planning approvals – could have the potential to store up to three TWh of green hydrogen and hydrogen carriers, the equivalent of approximately 10 percent of current Irish annual electricity consumption.

 

A proprietary evaluation of the depleted gas field reservoir took place earlier this year to identify the potential for large-scale storage of green hydrogen. Since then, a comprehensive work programme has begun, comprising of subsurface analysis, mineralogy, capacity modelling, injection and withdrawal rates, compression, drilling evaluation, well design, retention assurance, monitoring, electrolysis and infrastructure tie-in.

 

This is the latest project undertaken by ESB and dCarbonX following their partnership announcement in May, with the companies identifying and developing subsea energy storage offshore opportunities in Ireland. The companies have also proposed the development of a new ‘Green Hydrogen Valley,’ centred around the Poolbeg peninsula in Dublin, which will enable green hydrogen production and storage that can be used to decarbonise heavy transport, shipping, industry and power generation.  

 

ESB operates across the Irish electricity market; from generation, through transmission and distribution to the supply of customers with an expanding presence in the British power generation market. In addition, ESB extracts further value through supplying gas and energy services, and using its networks to carry fibre for telecommunications. 

 

ESB is the owner of the distribution and transmission networks in the Republic of Ireland (managed by ESB Networks) and Northern Ireland (via Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Ltd). In 2020 ESB had a 29 percent share of generation in the Irish all-island market (via ESB Generation and Trading) and a 34 percent share of electricity supply in the Irish all-island market (via Electric Ireland) with 1.5 million customer accounts.

 

dCarbonX Ltd is a pioneering GeoEnergy company established to develop subsurface hydrogen storage, carbon sequestration and geothermal baseload assets to facilitate the energy transition. 

 

Based in London and Dublin, dCarbonX Ltd used its proprietary knowledge base to originate and build a portfolio of high-value energy transition assets offshore Ireland & the United Kingdom with a focus on energy storage (hydrogen) and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

 

In May 2021, ESB and dCarbonX agreed to partner on the joint assessment and development of Irish offshore green hydrogen subsurface storage. In July 2021, Pentair and dCarbonX announced a new collaboration to advance their Carbon Capture and Sequestration projects in Ireland and the United Kingdom to help mitigate carbon emissions. 

 

dCarbonX is strategically and technically supported by Stena Drilling, AGR, Fugro, & CGG and corporately advised by Lambert Energy Advisory. 

 

Jiro Arihara

Global Commodity Watcher