ESK GMBH

It covers not only the classical gas storage business, but also hydrogen / compressed air and oil storage. Since 2014, they have been growing their portfolio with services for the market area conversion from low-calorific to high- calorific gas.

They provide customised services from a single source, supplemented by specifically developed software solutions to support their operations and project management.

Role in the project

ESK is in charge of a work package dedicated to the development of tools and methods for cyclability. They will also work in partnership on the demonstration of H2 storage and cyclic testing in salt caverns.

Relevant previous projects

HYPOS (hydrogen cavern):
Hypos H2-UGS is a joint research and development project with the aim of developing a methodology to demonstrate the eligibility of salt caverns for hydrogen storage including the evaluation of materials, geomechanics and microbiology.
In addition, a guideline for the licensing authority and potential investors is to be compiled.
ESK is responsible for the development of a realistic storage process, operation simulation, economical and operational management methods, the design of above-ground facilities, modelling of the full storage plant, assessment of operational safety and the layout of an exemplary approval process.

Large-scale hydrogen storage within CO2RRECT:
CO2RRECT is a finished project on carbon capture and utilisation technologies for large power plants. As a subtask, the constant provision of hydrogen to the conversion process was investigated. ESK provided a study including a general evaluation of storage options for 45 Mio. Nm³ of hydrogen with given load curve, exemplary plannings of the erection process for various realisation options, preparing the basic design of surface facilities, assessing the total time, CAPEX and OPEX and geologically analyse three specific locations.

SMRI-project “Renewable energy storage in salt caverns”:
The industry has substantial experience in natural gas storage in contrast to large scale hydrogen storage where it has much less experience. To develop comparable procedures for cavern and well design it is crucial to identify the basic differences between natural gas and hydrogen storage in solution mined salt caverns. So, the goal of this R&D project was to investigate the differences in thermodynamic behaviour between natural gas and hydrogen and the differences in flow mechanisms through rock salt between natural gas and hydrogen.
The project included laboratory measurements on the permeability of different rock salt samples using hydrogen, nitrogen and methane.

Underground engineering:
Currently the only storage construction project in Europe!
Extension of cavern storage Tuz Gölü, Turkey
The storage expansion project of operator BOTAS plans the construction of further 40 caverns in the second expansion phase from 2020 onwards, which involves a working gas increase of 4 bcm. ESK GmbH will support the general contractor ICTAS as subsurface design engineer in the following areas: geological and geo-mechanical assessment of salt structure, well testing, leaching of caverns, gas completion, gas first fill and snubbing.

ESK as innovation driver!
Stabilisation of production tubing of gas caverns – dry recompletion of gas caverns
The project involved the stabilisation and the dry recompletion of 28 caverns at the Etzel storage site in Germany. Currently, 4 caverns have already been completed. Another dry recompletion project is ongoing in Bad Lauchstädt, Germany. ESK is responsible for the conceptual development, design planning/authority engineering, participation in the procurement of supplies and services, supervision and documentation.
Dry recompletion of gas cavern wells has been preferred more and more over conventional wet recompletion processes. ESK has made a substantial contribution to the progress of dry recompletion, e.g. by designing detailed work programmes in compliance with strict safety requirements. In addition, ESK has contributed to the development of new tools which are essential for a safe and successful completion of the repair measures.

STOREMAN (storage emergency management):
Together with its partner Balance Point Control ESK prepares storage emergency plans and provides technical emergency equipment for 14 storage operators.