Hydrogen Storage in Caverns 2026
Date: 17th of April 2026
Venue: Edinburgh
Energy storage will be central to the timely achievement of Net Zero. That storage will cover a vast spectrum of times ranging from fractions of a second to many months – and possibly more than a year.
Storing energy in the form of hydrogen in underground formations will be the most cost-effective solution for long duration storage for many countries.
In the UK, hydrogen storage in salt caverns is not only a potential competitive advantage because we have vast salt deposits, but it is also a huge commercial opportunity, as a new industry with new equipment and new infrastructure is developed.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recognises the above and, in an effort to kickstart strategic developments in the country, has published a document outlining the government’s plans to support hydrogen storage, including a strategy to minimize the risk of low revenue for potential cavern operators.
The Hydrogen Storage in Caverns 2026 (HSIC 2026) event took place at the University of Edinburgh on the 17th of April. It was held as part of the wider UK Energy Storage Conference (UKES 2026). The event builds on successful previous events held in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The event explored some of the key challenges involved in deploying the necessary amounts of hydrogen caverns as well as some of the high-profile projects currently being out in the country.
Photo Credit: University of Sheffield
Programme schedule
| Speaker | Institution | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Sterner | Regensburg University of Applied Sciences | Why Long Duration Storage is the Backbone of our Energy Transition |
| Oliver Broad | University College London | The role of LDES in the UK Energy system |
| Tim Armitage | British Geological Survey | The UK’s Potential for Large-Scale Subsurface Energy Storage |
| Kelvin Shillinglaw | National Gas | Project Union & Hydrogen Storage Innovation |
| Lawson Steele | Haldane Energy | Hydrogen-derived long duration electricity storage |
| Silvan Hoth | Equinor | Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage |
| Patryk Tomaszewski | Atkins Realis | UK-wide take on Salt Cavern H2 Storage |
| Katriona Eldmann | University of Edinburgh | Knapton Hydrogen Storage for Hydrogen to Power |
| Jack Trevail | Riptide Engineering | Lined Rock Shaft technology for Hydrogen Storage |
| Purvesh Shah | DNV | Assurance and risk management of hydrogen infrastructure. |
| Discussion Panel including: Nigel Holmes (H2 Scotland), Emma Guthrie (HEA), Joseph Greaves (Hydrogen UK) | ||
Programme videos & presentations
