b'Partner News Spring 2023 29CorporateCentricas 47/3B Offshore Facility in the Southern North Sea Centricas Easington Terminal on the East Yorkshire CoastThe heart of UKsis required to power industry, heat homes and generate electricity.As Centrica and the UK move towards a hydrogen Future low-carbon future, Centrica is developing Rough as the worlds first offshore sub-surface hydrogen storage facility. It will have a hydrogen storage capacity of 10 TWh and potential for up to 17 TWh. Rough would be two orders of magnitude greater than the next largest planned hydrogen storage site in the UK and deliver triple the storage of Rough is a natural gas reservoir in thecapacity gas storage. Therefore, Roughconverting all existing UK salt caverns to Southern North Sea, 30 km off the Eastswitched to a production only facility in 2017hydrogen storage.Yorkshire coast and 3 km below the seato exploit the remaining cushion gas in the floor. The facility is owned and operatedreservoir. Hydrogen will be a key player in by Centrica Storage Ltd, a wholly owneddecarbonising the UK energy mix, and subsidiary of Centrica plc, via the 47/3BBy 2022, Roughs remaining gas reservesin particular the UKs industrial clusters. offshore platform and Easington terminalwere low, and the field was heading towardsRoughs vicinity to the Humber and Teesside on the Yorkshire coast. The reservoir iscessation of production. However, due toindustrial clusters, which together account a Rotliegendes sandstone structure andthe war in Ukraine and the resultant energyfor almost 50% of UK industrial cluster CO2 is unique in its favourable gas storagecrisis in Europe, Centrica reopened Roughemissions, means it will play a crucial role characteristics. to secure much needed additional UK gasin this areas hydrogen future. Storage is storage capacity for the coming Winter.essential in a hydrogen network to balance Rough was once the Jewel in the Crownproduction fluctuations and consumption of the UK energy infrastructure, providingDespite only operating with about 20% of itsdemands. Consortiums such as East Coast up to 37.5 TWh (Terrawatt hour) of naturalprevious capacity, at approximately 8 TWh,Hydrogen include Rough reservoir as vital gas storage at its peakthat is enoughthis increased the UKs total gas storageinfrastructure in developing the hydrogen gas to heat almost 10 million homes forby over 50%. Due to the reduced storageeconomy.an entire winterand accounted for 70%volume, the pressure in the reservoir is of the UKs gas storage capacity. In 2016,significantly lower, meaning that the wells areIn the current uncertain energy landscape, Centrica identified age-related integritywithin their tested capability. Gas storagethere is no doubt that Rough will play a defects on a number of the Rough wellsis essential for energy security as, despitemajor rolewhether its providing natural that would require significant investmentadvancements in renewables, when the windgas security today or as a kingpin in a future to continue operating the asset for fulldoesnt blow and the sun doesnt shine, gashydrogen network.'