Underground Hydrogen Storage: A Comprehensive Review of Technologies, Geological Formations, and Future Prospects

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) is becoming a meaningful way to store energy for long-term use and support thorough decarbonization in systems that use renewable energy. Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) has strategic benefits over above-ground systems because it can hold large volumes, is contained by geology, and is cheap to operate in cycles. This review compares four key geological formations for underground hydrogen storage (UHS): salt caverns, lined rock caverns, depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, and saline aquifers. Each system is evaluated based on storage mechanisms, efficiency, safety, technological maturity, and economic feasibility. This review also introduces a unified cross-media evaluation framework, a TRL-risk matrix, a technology development roadmap, and novel insights into AI-based monitoring, offering prescriptive guidance for large-scale UHS implementation. Salt caverns have high injectivity, maintain their purity, and undergo 6 to 12 cycles per year at pressures of 60 to 180 bar; however, they are only found in certain places. Lined rock caverns can be built anywhere, but sealing and economic issues make them difficult to use. Depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs with TWh-scale capacity and already built infrastructure. Saline aquifers, on the other hand, have the most potential in the world but need enhanced management of microbiological responses and cushion gas optimization. A synthesis of current studies highlights key research gaps in cyclic geomechanics, hydrogen–rock–microbe interactions, and liner performance for high-pressure storage. The review concludes with techno-economic and safety considerations and identifies future directions for deploying geological UHS as a critical component of a net-zero hydrogen economy.