Edinburgh ,United Kingdom
- Posted Date: 10/31/2023
- Expires on: 12/04/2023
- Description:To support a future low carbon energy system based on variable renewable energy, typical wind intermittency patterns suggest an energy storage need, across Scotland and the UK, in the range of several tens of TWh’s. In addition, 5.8 TWh of wind energy was effectively discarded (curtailed) in 2020 and 2021 due to grid constraints and mismatched supply and demand, with 82% of this curtailment occurring in Scotland.Energy storage using green hydrogen generated from excess renewable energy can mitigate energy wastage from curtailment. Storage of hydrogen in solution-mined salt caverns is considered the most cost-effective long-term solution for large-scale hydrogen storage. This is due to its high storage capacity, high sealing potential, reduced cushion gas requirement, and rapid response/operational flexibility. The overarching goals of this PhD are two-fold:
1. to undertake a geological evaluation and assessment of the Zechstein Group salt deposits; and
2. to address some of the outstanding technical uncertainties associated with hydrogen storage (in onshore and offshore salt caverns) within the Zechstein group formations. The School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh has been recently awarded £2M to demonstrate the commercial viability of storing hydrogen in underground porous reservoirs and this project would provide the opportunity to become part of the team at Edinburgh contributing to the low carbon hydrogen revolution.EligibilityThe student should have a background in Earth Sciences, Engineering, or Material Science with some aptitude for mathematics or programming.
- Fields
- Environmental Science
- Geography
- Geosciences
- Material Engineering
- Material Science
- Mathematics
- Qualifications
- Master