North Sea hydrogen storage could power UK for 7 years, says new research

The UK could store enough green hydrogen in depleted North Sea oil and gas fields to supply the nation's future electricity needs for up to seven years, according to new research from the Durham Energy Institute at Durham University.

For the first time, researchers combined geological analysis with half-hourly electricity generation and demand data—using both historical records and future energy system simulations—to evaluate how large-scale hydrogen storage could support Britain's transition to a net-zero power system.

Their findings suggest that deploying green hydrogen at sufficient scale could eliminate the need for gas-fired power generation by 2040, offering a faster pathway to net zero than relying solely on accelerated expansion of renewable energy and battery storage.

Under the scenarios examined, excess electricity generated by wind and solar farms would be used to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis. The hydrogen would then be stored underground in depleted North Sea oil and gas reservoirs using existing and repurposed energy infrastructure, creating a large-scale, long-duration seasonal energy storage system.

According to the study, these underground reserves could provide more than 3,500 TWh of storage capacity—enough to meet the UK's projected electricity demand for approximately seven years.

Given the UK's abundant renewable energy resources and significant geological storage potential, the researchers also suggest the country could eventually become a net exporter of green hydrogen, strengthening both domestic energy security and Europe's broader energy independence.

Hydrogen is increasingly being recognized as a critical component of future low-carbon energy systems. Germany is expanding its national hydrogen storage capacity, while Denmark has made hydrogen production a central pillar of its long-term energy strategy.

The UK Government likewise sees hydrogen as an important part of the country's future electricity mix but has acknowledged that substantially more storage capacity will be required. To date, hydrogen storage efforts have focused primarily on underground salt caverns, which are limited in number and unlikely to provide the long-duration storage needed for a fully decarbonized energy system. Currently, only the Rough gas field in the North Sea is being developed for hydrogen storage.

The new research argues that the UK's extensive network of depleted offshore oil and gas fields represents a far greater opportunity to develop the storage capacity needed for large-scale hydrogen deployment.

To assess hydrogen's role in the future energy system, the research team combined expertise in geology and engineering to create a digital twin of the UK's electricity network. Rather than relying on annual averages, the model incorporated half-hourly historical electricity demand and generation data, renewable energy deployment plans, and forecasts of future electricity consumption driven by electric vehicles, heat pumps, and expanding data centre capacity.

The researchers evaluated numerous potential hydrogen storage sites across the UK, selecting those with the most suitable geological characteristics, including secure cap rock formations and minimal hydrogen leakage risk.

Several future energy scenarios were then modeled. These included a low-storage scenario based on projects already under development, a high-storage scenario utilizing additional depleted oil and gas fields, and an alternative pathway focused on expanding renewable generation and battery storage without significant growth in hydrogen production or storage.

While every scenario substantially reduced reliance on natural gas during periods of high electricity demand and low renewable generation—cutting gas-fired power to around 1% of electricity production by 2030—the differences became more pronounced over time.

Under the low-storage scenario, hydrogen storage capacity quickly became saturated, limiting both hydrogen utilization and renewable energy integration. In contrast, the high-storage scenario provided sufficient seasonal storage to maximize hydrogen production during periods of surplus renewable electricity and deliver reliable backup power when renewable output declined.

Only this large-scale hydrogen storage pathway was capable of eliminating the need for gas-fired electricity generation entirely by 2040.

The researchers estimate that the total storage potential identified reaches 3,659 TWh, enough to supply the UK's projected electricity demand for approximately seven years based on expected consumption in 2040.

The findings highlight the strategic value of repurposing the UK's existing offshore energy infrastructure, suggesting that depleted North Sea oil and gas reservoirs could become a cornerstone of a resilient, renewable-powered electricity system while supporting long-term energy security and accelerating the transition to net zero.