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.