Compressed Air Energy Storage in depleted methane extraction sites by FSC-TECH EU Srl

The project explores the highly promising opportunity to repurpose depleted methane reservoirs (both onshore in the Po Valley and offshore along the Adriatic coast) as large-scale, long-lived storage sites for green hydrogen or compressed air, supporting the decarbonisation of energy systems and the transition away from oil and gas. Analyses conducted with FSC TECH EU show that the total volume of gas historically extracted in Italy corresponds to roughly 10 billion cubic metres of underground storage capacity, enabling the potential sequestration of up to 1 million tonnes of hydrogen (equivalent to about 35 TWh of energy) if re-pressurised to reservoir conditions. This aligns closely with EU REPowerEU goals and positions Italy as a strategic hydrogen storage hub. Offshore platforms alone could host around half of this capacity, or 7–8 TWh if used for compressed-air energy storage, offering a cost-effective, low-OPEX solution with infrastructure that can operate for decades using existing wells and pipelines. In parallel, FSC is developing gasification systems to produce hydrogen from agro-industrial waste and municipal solid waste, enabling industrial symbiosis with energy-intensive sectors such as ceramics. Key challenges include negotiating access to wells owned by major operators (ENI, Edison, Energean) and navigating decommissioning policies, but strong business incentives and lower long-term costs make collaboration feasible. The proposal directly addresses national energy-security concerns highlighted by recent European blackouts and represents a strategic opportunity for Emilia-Romagna to lead in next-generation energy storage and circular hydrogen systems.