Seasonal hydrogen storage for sustainable renewable energy integration in the electricity sector: A case study of Finland

Wind power is rapidly growing in the Finnish grid, and Finland's electricity consumption is low in the summer compared to the winter. Hence, there is a need for storage that can absorb a large amount of energy during summer and discharge it during winter. This study examines one such storage technology, geological hydrogen storage, which has the potential to store energy on a GWh scale and also over longer periods of time. Finland's electricity generation system was modelled with and without hydrogen storage using the LEAP-NEMO modeling toolkit. The results showed about 69% decline in carbon dioxide emissions as well as a decline in the fossil fuel-based power accompanied with a higher capability to meet demand with less imports in both scenarios. Finally, a critical analysis of the Finnish electricity mix with and without hydrogen storage is presented.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that utilizing geological hydrogen storage technology can significantly reduce carbon emissions in Finland, decrease the use of fossil fuel-based power, and enhance the capability to meet energy demand. Through simulation analysis, the importance of hydrogen storage in the Finnish electricity system is validated.