Clean,
Green
& Unseen
dCarbonX aims to bring low-carbon "security of supply" and system resilience to the UK and Ireland via its first-mover position utilising offshore underground energy storage solutions.
The UK and Ireland have acute needs for low-carbon energy solutions, particularly for underground energy storage of natural gas and hydrogen to support the drive for increased penetration of renewables and to ensure the security of energy supply.​
Importance of Gas Storage for Energy Resilience
Domestic production decline
Regional interconnectivity risks
Global LNG competition
Gas remains the backbone of the wider UK and Irish energy systems, playing a critical part in UK and Irish energy security and meeting demand for economic growth, domestic heating, industry and transport.
Historically, a flexible ‘just-in-time’ gas model, supported by North Sea gas production, European gas interconnectors, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and wider imports was relied on – limiting the need for large underground storage capacity. That balance has shifted: domestic UK gas production is in terminal decline, imports are strained, and LNG is both volatile and expensive.
That means the UK and Ireland’s minimal storage – just 12 and 0 days respectively, compared to an average of around 90 days or more in other European G7 countries such as Germany, France and Italy – now poses a real threat. Without new storage facilities, both the UK and Ireland risk being exposed to supply squeezes, price spikes, and reduced flexibility at exactly the moment it is needed most.