Site selection evaluation for salt cavern hydrogen storage in China

Abstract

Salt caverns are ideal for hydrogen storage. Rock salt formations are widely distributed in China, but geological conditions vary widely. It is necessary to evaluate the suitability of salt mines to build salt cavern hydrogen storage (SCHS). In this paper, an evaluation model based on Entropy-Weighted Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for SCHS site selection is established. The Entropy Weight Method (EWM) is used to calculate the weights of the evaluation indexes, and the suitability of SCHS is evaluated based on TOPSIS. Finally, the hydrogen storage capacity of the preferred site and the demand for SCHS are considered. According to the evaluation, Jintan and Qianjiang are currently the most suitable sites in China for SCHS, with single-cavern hydrogen storage capacities of 69.56 GWh and 237.00 GWh respectively. To meet China's hydrogen consumption demand in 2060, a minimum of 84.76 km2 or 41.12 km2 of mine area would need to be planned for SCHS in Jintan or Qianjiang, respectively.