Our Project

Location

Celtic Sea

Distance to shore

Approximately 80km to 90km

Capacity

The first phase of this project will have a capacity to store approximately 1TWh of hydrogen*

Energy

This project will provide hydrogen storage with volume capacity of approximately 20% of Ireland’s 2050 hydrogen economy storage (90 days) needs supporting associated clean energy production and use in the energy, heat and industrial sectors

*On the basis of assuming 1kg hydrogen per 100km travelled, the hydrogen that will pass through the first phase of this facility on an annual basis if used to fuel hydrogen cars in Ireland would equate to approximately 2.5 billion kilometres travelled, which is equivalent to 8.5 round trips to the sun, 3,300 round trips to the moon, 63,300 times around Earth. In 2018, all private car use in Ireland travelled a total of 35.1 billion kilometres, so, hydrogen fuelled cars fuelled by the hydrogen that will pass through the first phase of this facility in one year would have fuelled approximately 14.5% of all private car travel in 2018 or 53 days of travel and would have saved approximately 580,000 tonnes of CO2. [reference: https://www.seai.ie/data-and-insights/seai-statistics/transport/#:~:text=Source%3A%20SEAI-,Private%20cars,the%20sharp%20drop%20in%202020]

**Reference: Table 1 page 55 of the 2023 National Hydrogen Strategy i.e. 1 TWh being approximately 20% of the ‘Low’ 90 days storage requirement scenario.

Objective of the Project

Allód Hydrogen Storage project will store hydrogen to support a zero carbon and sustainable future.

STATUS OF THE PROJECT

Current Status

This subsea hydrogen storage project development is being led by Galetech Energy Developments. We have identified an area of interest in the Celtic Sea as our proposed potential project location. This is based on the potential presence of salt deep below the seabed, which can potentially be used to develop subsea salt caverns to store hydrogen. We have completed our initial desktop feasibility/investigation study for locating a subsea hydrogen storage project. To validate our desktop studies, our next step, subject to licence and in consultation with stakeholders, will be to complete environmental assessments, marine surveys and investigations. We will analyse the results and data from those assessments, surveys and investigations to confirm the presence of salt and understand whether such salt may be suitable for the development of subsea salt caverns for hydrogen storage. In order to complete such marine surveys and investigations, we are required under the Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021 to prepare an application for a Maritime Usage Licence (MUL) and submit it to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) for determination. After completion of the surveys and further analysis, if the area is deemed suitable for the potential development of subsea salt caverns for hydrogen storage, our next steps following on from that will be the preparation of an application to MARA for a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) for the rights to develop the project. We will be consulting with the public, local communities and fisheries/seafood industry as part of each application preparation process. Subject to the authorities granting a MUL and MAC, in consultation with fisheries and marine users, we will complete further surveys and studies to inform the preparation of a planning permission application to An Bord Pleanala (ABP) in due course. Any application documents to MARA and ABP will be made available on our website when published by the authorities.

"We will be consulting with the public, local communities and fisheries/seafood industries..."

EMS-EK001-844530. Not to be used for Navigation.

"The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) is a relatively new state agency essentially replacing the foreshore unit under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and has been established under the Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021 under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications"

HOW THE CONSENTING PROCESS WORKS

The Consenting Process

The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) is a relatively new state agency essentially replacing the foreshore unit under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and has been established under the Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021 under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. It has responsibility for considering Maritime Usage Licence (MUL) and Maritime Area Consent (MAC) applications and if it deems appropriate, to grant such licences/consents. MARA is also responsible for enforcement of the new regulatory regime for Ireland’s maritime area. Maritime Area Consents (MAC) are required by developers seeking exclusive rights to develop within a certain maritime area. A MAC is granted by MARA under the MAP Act 2021. If a MAC is awarded to a project, the developer of that project has exclusive rights to develop a project in that area. The next step after that is for the project to prepare a planning application to An Bord Pleanala (ABP). ABP will be responsible for considering the planning application and to grant a planning permit for the project if they deem it appropriate to do so.