Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEGAfter studying geosciences with a focus on mineralogy in 2009, I completed my doctorate in geodynamics at ETH Zurich in 2013. From 2013 to 2017, I worked as a postdoc at the University of Utrecht in the Department of "Earth and Sustainability," focusing on structural geology, and from 2017 to 2020 as a postdoc at the International Geothermal Center Bochum, specializing in deep geothermal energy.
Since 2020, I have been researching underground storage of CO2 and hydrogen at Fraunhofer IEG, as well as lithium extraction from geothermal waters, and advising companies in the field of resource geology.
Whether hydrogen or geothermal energy – energy transition technologies utilize the resource "subsurface." Local geological structures determine the efficiency of innovative applications. Katharina Alms has the insight into these connections: What should be considered, for example, when storing hydrogen in rock formations? This is just one of the questions that the PhD geoscientist passionately pursues.
"Geosciences was the perfect study for me," reflects Katharina Alms. "Whether physics, chemistry, biology, or mathematics – in geosciences, we link tools from all natural sciences to analyze the complex interplay in the subsurface. That's what I particularly liked." At Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Katharina Alms began her academic career. She has now been working at Fraunhofer IEG in Bochum for four years and is currently the Operational Manager for the Competence Center "Reservoir Geology." There, she mainly produces scientific research papers. However, more and more stakeholders in the energy transition are seeking her expertise. With her Competence Center, Alms can conduct feasibility studies for energy suppliers or advise policymakers on geothermal energy, CO2 storage, or hydrogen storage. Because she and her team possess competencies that are urgently needed in the context of the energy transition.
From Basic Research to Applied Research
After her studies, the young woman initially went to ETH Zurich, where she earned her doctorate in geophysics, then worked as a postdoc researcher at the University of Utrecht. "At first, I was heavily involved in basic research and studied how continents form." In Utrecht, she then happened to meet some scientists who were dealing with geothermal potentials. Through professional exchange, she realized: "I want to move into applied research because only there can I contribute to the energy transition and shape our future," recalls the scientist.
Hydrogen Storage – Important for the Energy Transition
At Fraunhofer IEG, Katharina Alms and her colleagues develop methods to assess the quality of reservoirs for hydrogen storage. Katharina Alms states: "With the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy, we need to have sufficient options for its storage. For this, we investigated the suitability of porous subsurfaces in the H2Sponge project, which is part of TransHyDe." TransHyDe is a federally funded project that develops and tests technologies for the transport and storage of hydrogen. In this context, Katharina Alms examined potential storage rocks. She initially compiled all relevant assessment criteria for hydrogen storage in porous media. Her findings are now being incorporated into the follow-up project ScaleH2. There, scientists are examining how hydrogen can be produced in Australia, transported to Germany, and utilized and stored here. Katharina Alms and her team are now looking for specific storage sites in Germany and aligning them with local hydrogen storage needs.
Sufficient Storage Options Available, but …
The good news for the energy transition: The scientist sees sufficient options to store the amounts of hydrogen required in Germany by 2050: The existing deposits of already extracted German natural gas alone would be completely sufficient as hydrogen storage. There, 2.36 petawatt hours (PWh) of storage volume is available, including 260 TWh in already depleted gas deposits. According to a study by Lux et al. 2022, Germany is expected to need 42 to 104 terawatt hours of storage for hydrogen. However, the devil is in the details: "Storage in porous subsurfaces is not very flexible. This means we can only maintain the base load, but cannot cover peaks, as the injection and withdrawal of hydrogen in porous rock generally takes longer than in salt caverns, which are much more flexible." Over the course of the year, the laboratory at Fraunhofer IEG will put an appropriate test facility into operation. Katharina Alms: "I am looking forward to examining in detail how the relevant rock types interact with hydrogen under temperature and pressure differences." This is of interest to operators of storage facilities who need predictions on which of the considered storage sites are particularly suitable for hydrogen and what load curves are realistic.
Thus, the researcher once again meticulously integrates many disciplines to address a complex issue and moves forward with her colleagues from the laboratory for the energy transition.