Clathrate hydrates for low cost hydrogen storage in offshore wind fields

The objective of this project is to develop low-cost, high-safety media for the storage of hydrogen, which also have minimal technologic and maintenance requirements. Target storage media will be suitable for offshore wind fields, where hydrogen will be produced by wind-powered sea water electrolysis during low-demand hours. The storage media that the present project will develop are clathrate hydrates of hydrogen. Clathrate hydrates are formed under conditions of high pressures and low temperatures, which are available on the sea floor at no cost. Furthermore, the main storage medium, i.e., water, is plentiful at sea. The scientific aims are to overcome critical points of hydrogen storage in clathrates, namely (i) slow capture kinetics, and (ii) low gravimetric content. As for point (i), we will start from our patented processes and molecules for improving the kinetics of the process. The increase of the gravimetric content (point (ii)) will instead be addressed with the design and test of stabilizers of the hydrate cages, through a combination of theoretical and experimental approaches. As a technological aim, a proof-of-concept design of a seafloor device for hydrate formation will be developed. This project fulfils the technical scope of Call TRI3.2: Hydrogen and renewable fuels, particularly as relates to the production of green hydrogen to be stored into hydrates, and the deployment of the proposed storage media in large scale storage settings.