Beyond Steady-State: Dynamic Modelling of Cavern-Grid Interaction for Resilient Hydrogen Infrastructure Design

Abstract

Fluctuating hydrogen supply and demand challenge future infrastructure, making large-scale hydrogen storage indispensable. Many scenarios forecast German capacities of up to 80 TWh. However, these often use steady-state simulations, which estimate overall storage requirements but cannot capture technical interactions between grids and storages. This study presents a dynamic model to re-examine future scenarios and systematically assess the storage-grid interaction within the German hydrogen core network. The results reveal that grid constraints limit the storage’s balancing capability and lead to significant load shedding and supply curtailment. More precisely, both the deliverable power to a grid section and the time lag between storage discharge and availability of additional flow strongly depend on the spatial distance and the diameter of the connecting pipeline. In combination with limited line pack availability, certain scenario conditions become infeasible. Dynamic simulation and combined consideration of grid and storages is therefore essential for planning resilient hydrogen infrastructure.