  Hydrogen is an integral component of the current energy transition roadmap to
decarbonize the economy and create an environmentally-sustainable future.
However, surface storage options (e.g., tanks) do not provide the required
capacity or durability to deploy a regional or nationwide hydrogen economy. In
this study, we have analyzed the techno-economic feasibility of the geologic
storage of hydrogen in depleted gas reservoirs, salt caverns, and aquifers in
the Intermountain-West (I-WEST) region. We have identified the most favorable
candidate sites for hydrogen storage and estimated the volumetric storage
capacity. Our results show that the geologic storage of hydrogen can provide at
least 72% of total energy consumption of I-WEST region in 2020. We also
calculated the capital and levelized costs of each storage option. We found
that a depleted gas reservoir is the most cost-effective candidate among the
three geologic storage options. Interestingly, the cushion gas type and volume
play a significant role in the storage cost when we consider hydrogen storage
in saline aquifers. The levelized costs of hydrogen storage in depleted gas
reservoirs, salt caverns, and saline aquifers with large-scale storage capacity
are approximately $1.3, $2.3, and $3.4 per kg of H2, respectively. This work
provides essential guidance for the geologic hydrogen storage in the I-WEST
region.
