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Management
In the future, hydrogen is to be stored in underground salt caverns that were originally used to store natural gas or crude oil, or that have so far been in contact exclusively with brine. These different usage histories are expected to result in specific microbiomes, each shaped by the varying nutrient and substrate conditions within the caverns.
To account for these differences, the project is investigating three types of caverns: (A) a former natural gas cavern, (B) a former oil cavern, and (C) a brine-only cavern.
The project is divided into three work packages (WPs):
- WP 1 – Sampling (conducted by SOCON and Microbify)
- WP 2 – Microbiological analyses (conducted by Microbify)
- WP 3 – Modeling (conducted by Clausthal University of Technology)
As part of WP 3, the Institute of Subsurface Energy Systems (ITE) at Clausthal University of Technology is developing a reactive transport model to simulate and predict microbially induced processes in salt caverns under hydrogen storage conditions. The model is based on experimental data from WP 2, including microbial growth rates, metabolic pathways, and the interactions of microorganisms with the geological environment under high-pressure hydrogen atmospheres.
After calibration with laboratory data, the model will be scaled up to represent realistic cavern conditions. This will enable reliable prediction of key microbiological influences on hydrogen storage processes—such as hydrogen consumption, changes in gas composition, or biofilm formation. The results provide a sound basis for assessing microbial risks during underground hydrogen storage.