Fossil-Free Hydrogen Storage Successfully Tested in Northern Sweden

As part of the project, a 100 cubic meter hydrogen storage facility was constructed in a steel-lined rock cavern in Svartöberget in northern Sweden, close to the HYBRIT direct reduction plant for the production of sponge iron in Luleå.

The tests that have now been completed show that the storage technology is suitable for industrial scales and that savings of around 25-40 percent of the variable operating costs for hydrogen production can be achieved. The pilot storage facility has undergone accelerated mechanical tests that correspond to an operating life of around 50 years. This successfully demonstrated the safety, functionality and performance of the system.

“The pilot project was very successful and delivered the hoped-for results. We were able to demonstrate that this technology also has the potential to make the electricity system more flexible and that it is a safe technological concept that will last for a long time. Hydrogen storage is an important building block for the electrification of industrial processes, while at the same time the share of weather-dependent electricity generation is increasing. With the results and experience from the pilot project, the technology is now ready to be scaled up,” says Mikael Nordlander, Head of Development for Vattenfall's industrial partnerships.

Future fossil-free industrial processes that use hydrogen from fossil-free electricity instead of fossil fuels will increase industry's dependence on the electricity system. In addition, a secure hydrogen supply is a crucial factor. The main purpose of a hydrogen storage facility is to be able to adapt hydrogen production to fluctuations in the electricity market. The cost of hydrogen production is optimized by producing and storing hydrogen in excess of demand when electricity prices are low, while hydrogen production is scaled back and the stored hydrogen is used when prices are high.

The HYBRIT initiative was launched in 2016 by the owners SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall with the aim of developing the world's first fossil-free, ore-based iron and steel production with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. The steel industry currently accounts for 7 percent of global CO2 emissions. With HYBRIT technology, steel producer SSAB can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent in Sweden and 7 percent in Finland.

The Swedish Energy Agency has co-financed 22 percent of the hydrogen storage project, with the remainder being provided by the owners.