Ardent Underground, a division of Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, has secured a US patent for underground hydrogen storage technology that uses blind boring to develop large-scale storage for compressed hydrogen.
The patent, titled Compressed Gas Storage Tank, System and Method, was issued on September 22. It protects the intellectual property behind the company’s approach to underground hydrogen storage, which is designed to provide scalable capacity while maintaining hydrogen purity.
The patented solution uses purpose-built vertical shafts constructed deep underground to contain compressed hydrogen. The surrounding rock mass helps accommodate the storage pressure, potentially reducing the need for costly pressure-containment materials. The underground solution also limits the surface footprint compared with above-ground infrastructure.
Each shaft is designed to accommodate up to 150 tonnes of hydrogen, with multiple shafts able to be constructed at a single site to increase overall storage capacity.
The technology draws on Abergeldie’s established blind bore shaft construction. It involves drilling a large-diameter vertical shaft and installing a steel liner grouted into position and connected to above-ground facilities.
The storage configuration is designed to accommodate movement within the surrounding structure while maintaining the volume of the pressurised gas storage chamber. This is a key element of the system’s approach to containing compressed hydrogen within an underground shaft.
By combining specialist shaft-sinking capabilities with a purpose-designed storage system, Ardent Underground aims to deliver a solution that can be replicated across sites where large-scale hydrogen storage is required.
Abergeldie chief executive officer Mark Bruzzone said the patent was an important milestone for the technology and its potential application in the developing hydrogen industry.
“The granting of this patent is a significant milestone for Ardent Underground and recognises the innovation behind a solution that has a key role to play in supporting the development of the hydrogen industry,” Bruzzone said.
“Abergeldie has always looked for innovative ways to solve complex infrastructure challenges. Ardent Underground brings together that mindset with our specialist underground engineering capability to address one of the challenges associated with hydrogen: storing it safely and effectively at scale.”
