Uniper is exploring the potential development of a salt cavern H₂ storage facility, near Warmingham in Cheshire, in partnership with British Salt, who own the mineral rights and have existing operations on the site.

The two companies have recently signed a feasibility development agreement which gives Uniper the sole rights to explore the site’s potential for H₂ storage. British Salt will add steps to its existing solution mining plans to support Uniper in gathering data with the aim of evaluating the site’s potential for H₂ storage. 

H₂ is a key fuel for industries that are difficult to electrify, such as chemicals and refining, steelmaking, cement production, and transport. The UK has a geology that is highly favorable for salt cavern gas storage which would be able to significantly contribute to the large-scale seasonal and daily flexibility needs of the UK's future energy system.  

The companies will work together to develop designs for the drilling of the first two wells so that they are suitable for the potential development of H₂ storage caverns. Development of the Salinae H₂ Storage project will be subject to Uniper being granted Development Consent Order planning approval and in the absence of a H₂ market, and as a precursor to a competitive market framework, Uniper will also need UK Government to develop a bespoke business model to bring forward this first of a kind technology.

Uniper's existing gas storage facility, and any potential future H₂ storage facility, play a key role in ensuring a secure and flexible energy system in the UK.

“Flexible energy storage is a fundamental component of both the energy transition and the security of the UK's energy supply. Cheshire has the perfect geology to safely store large volumes of H₂ and the Salinae H₂ Storage project could contribute to developing this innovative technology. We look forward to working with British Salt on this exciting project,” said John Rixham, Head of H₂ Storage Development for the UK, Uniper.

“We look forward to collaborating with Uniper on their H₂ storage project and sharing our expertise in solution mining. One of the many benefits in our unique partnership would be our ability to use the brine displaced in the formation of the caverns in the production of salt at our Middlewich plant,” said Rob Hudson, Head of Strategic Development, British Salt.