Natural geological structures called salt domes in Abu Dhabi could play a leading role in the UAE’s energy transition, new research suggests.
These structures of sedimentary rocks, formed where a large mass of salt has been forced upwards, often forming traps for oil or natural gas, are of interest to engineers who are concerned with the storage of hydrogen generated by renewable energy.
In a new study, to be presented at a conference in Vienna at the end of April, scientists said that UAE authorities are “actively exploring the use” of salt domes for large-scale hydrogen and hydrocarbon storage. This, they said, is being carried out in line with the country’s aim of a “clean energy transition and decarbonisation”.
The scientists from Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi and oil company Adnoc, said that the Jebel Al Dhanna salt dome stretches up to 2.8 kilometres east to west and 4.2km north to south.
It was analysed using three-dimensional seismic techniques and four boreholes to assess its capacity for salt caverns, which are created within the domes by using liquid to dissolve the salt to leave a cavity that can be used for storage.
Saving energy for times of need
“You engineer the salt caverns by pumping water underground and gradually dissolving over a year or three years,” said Stuart Haszeldine, a geologist and professor of carbon capture and storage at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
While the size of salt caverns depends on the size of the structure in which they are being created, Prof Haszeldine said they typically stretch 20 to 30 metres vertically or 30 to 50 metres horizontally, although they can be much larger.
The demand for hydrogen is growing and an advantage is that it can be stored underground until needed. At times of greater energy demand, the hydrogen can be extracted and used to power fuel cells that generate energy, or burned to produce heat.
Hydrogen is ideally stored underground, said Kevin Taylor, a professor in energy geoscience at the University of Manchester in England, because the gas’s low density means that it is not economical to build large-scale storage above the ground.
The use of salt caverns to store hydrogen is still at an experimental stage. However, the European Union is currently supporting a project called HyPSTER (Hydrogen Pilot Storage for large Ecosystem Replication) which is a large-scale salt cavern in Etrez in eastern France for hydrogen storage. The project team announced in late 2024 that the first hydrogen molecules had been injected into a salt cavern.
Other uses for salt caverns
Prof Haszeldine said that in the Gulf states, salt caverns could be used to store hydrogen for either export or domestic use. They are already, he said, “well proven” for the storage of methane.
In separate research published last year, Chinese scientists looked at the potential for salt caverns to be used for the storage of carbon dioxide. With carbon capture and storage, where CO2 released by industrial plants is collected, and direct air capture, where CO2 is sucked out of the air, the carbon dioxide is typically stored deep underground.
Ideally, it is dissolved and mineralised, creating a permanent storage so that the carbon no longer contributes to global warming. However, producing salt caverns to store CO2 permanently in this way may not be realistic, given the costs of creating the cavern, while another drawback is that the gas will not become mineralised.
“You could use salt caverns for CO2 storage, but you would probably make more money injecting hydrogen or methane in and out,” Prof Haszeldine said. “ … If you’re going to mine a cavern as a business, you will probably mine a cavern for the storage of hydrogen.”
While salt caverns may not be ideal for permanent CO2 storage, the researchers from China indicated in the journal Engineering they could be used for non-permanent CO2 storage and so could help to “promote the important transformation of carbon as a waste to [an] industrial resource”.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Started: 2021
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Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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