Irish Sea project could grow UK gas storage and pave way for hydrogen

  • Gas
  • September 22, 2025

A proposed storage development in the Irish Sea has the potential to double the UK’s limited natural gas storage capacity, while also being designed to accommodate future low-carbon molecules such as hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

The project is being advanced by Dublin-based dCarbonX, which earlier this year secured a licence from the North Sea Transition Authority to redevelop the depleted Bains gas field.

If developed, the site could provide several days of backup supply for the UK, which has historically relied heavily on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes and pipeline flows to balance seasonal demand.

Gas storage has become a renewed priority since the closure of the Rough gas storage facility in 2017 and the market volatility triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At present, the UK’s storage capacity covers less than 2% of annual demand, compared with Germany and France where reserves are closer to 20%.

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