ESB and dCarbonX have launched ‘Green Hydrogen @ Kinsale,’ an integrated project to develop large-scale storage for green hydrogen off the coast of County Cork. This project – pending licence and planning approvals – could have the potential to store up to three TWh of green hydrogen and hydrogen carriers, the equivalent of approximately 10% of current Irish annual electricity consumption.

A proprietary evaluation of the depleted gas field reservoir took place earlier this year to identify the potential for large-scale storage of green hydrogen. Since then, a comprehensive work program has begun, comprising of subsurface analysis, mineralogy, capacity modelling, injection and withdrawal rates, compression, drilling evaluation, well design, retention assurance, monitoring, electrolysis and infrastructure tie-in.

This is the latest project undertaken by ESB and dCarbonX following their partnership announcement in May, with the companies identifying and developing subsea energy storage offshore opportunities in Ireland. The companies have also proposed the development of a new ‘Green Hydrogen Valley,’ centred around the Poolbeg peninsula in Dublin, which will enable green hydrogen production and storage that can be used to decarbonise heavy transport, shipping, industry and power generation. 

The County Cork region is ideally placed to be a renewable energy hub, having one of the largest natural harbors in the world, ideal energy and transport connectivity, modern global manufacturing and service industries together with power stations, refinery and gas reception terminal.

"Transforming sites – such as the recently decommissioned gas reservoirs at Kinsale Head – and repurposing reservoirs for green hydrogen can deliver large-scale sustainable energy storage for homes and businesses in the future. We look forward to working with dCarbonX on this exciting renewable project," said Padraig O’Hiceadha, ESB Strategy Manager, Generation and Trading. "This project follows ESB’s announcement in May that it has plans to invest in a hydrogen facility as part of its redevelopment of the Moneypoint site into a renewable energy hub, Green Atlantic @ Moneypoint."