Developments in Underground Hydrogen Storage Technologies
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A5: Hydrogen Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 35
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
As global efforts toward decarbonisation intensify, hydrogen is increasingly recognised as a critical clean energy carrier. To unlock its full potential, robust, large-scale, and long-duration storage solutions are essential to complement intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar. Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) presents a viable solution, utilising geological formations—such as salt caverns, depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, and aquifers—for secure and scalable hydrogen storage.
This proposal examines recent advancements in UHS, with a focus on the following:
- Site characterisation and geomechanical stability.
- Hydrogen–rock and caprock interactions.
- Sealing integrity and leakage mitigation.
- Monitoring technologies and regulatory frameworks.
- Insights from natural gas and CO2 storage analogues.
- Global case studies from operational and planned UHS projects.
The complex physicochemical behaviour of hydrogen and variability in geological media introduce challenges such as leakage risks, microbial activity, and sensitivity to pressure and temperature. Emerging modelling tools, monitoring systems, and pilot initiatives are addressing these issues and demonstrating the feasibility of UHS.
The strategic importance of UHS lies in its potential to enhance energy security, grid resilience, and cost-effective decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. Countries with abundant geological resources and strong clean energy commitments are well-positioned to lead and benefit from these innovations.
This research aims to deliver a comprehensive assessment of current capabilities and future directions for UHS, supporting its integration into national and global clean energy strategies.
Dr. Nilesh Kumar Jha
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS)
- decarbonisation
- geological formations
- hydrogen–rock interactions
- energy security
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.