{"id":80314,"date":"2021-11-04T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/?p=80314"},"modified":"2024-02-27T14:00:20","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T14:00:20","slug":"the-scientists-going-1100-metres-underground-in-search-of-answers-to-energy-storage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/news\/the-scientists-going-1100-metres-underground-in-search-of-answers-to-energy-storage\/","title":{"rendered":"The scientists going underground in search of answers to energy storage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In the UK\u2019s deepest mine, situated between Saltburn and Whitby on the north-east coast of England, ICL Boulby hosts the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Boulby Underground Laboratory. The laboratory sits within thick rock-salt (halite) deposits in the mine left behind from the evaporation of the ancient Zechstein Sea some 250 million years ago. The mine contains a network of roadways and caverns, with over 1000 km of tunnel, excavated during mining operations that began in 1968. It’s now one of the few places that halite can be studied at depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s in this busy, working rock-salt and polyhalite mine that BGS scientists have been going underground into a hidden laboratory. Being situated in an active mine, the team must wear an outfit consisting of high-visibility t-shirts, shorts and even shin pads before they can begin their research. It\u2019s a journey so far down, you\u2019ll need a lift to take you there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our experts are working with staff from the mine and Boulby Underground Laboratory to design a research programme to help understand the behavior of rock-salt. Caverns formed in halite by solution mining can be used to store excess energy generated from wind and solar in the form of compressed air or hydrogen. One of the main benefits of this is that the technology allows a greater amount of renewable energy to be used in a flexible way, which many think will be essential for the UK to achieve its net zero ambitions<\/a>. However, the way the caverns form can lead to a loss of operational efficiency. This research will help in the optimisation of cavern design whilst also making the most efficient use of the unique halite resources in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of salt caverns for energy storage  <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is a well-known fact that some renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, are intermittent. Little energy is produced on days without sunshine or wind. This is in contrast to fossil fuels or nuclear energy, which can produce energy all year round. On days when we can use both fossil fuels and other energy sources, there is the potential for surplus energy to be created. Therefore, having ways to store surplus energy will be vital to fill potential gaps in the energy supply as the UK moves away from fossil fuel energy sources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy storage<\/a> can take the form of compressed of air in ‘compressed air energy storage’ (CAES) or by the production of hydrogen via electrolysis: both gases can be stored in solution-mined caverns developed in halite. Storing gases within caverns requires a detailed understanding of a number of parameters associated with cavern operation, including variations in terms of geology and in situ conditions such as temperature and stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halite is an ideal material to host storage caverns: <\/p>\n\n\n\n