Our consortium partner ILF Consulting Engineers took its first major step into underground gas storage 40 years ago – and has been building on that experience ever since!
The story began in 1983, when ILF had just wrapped up two large-scale infrastructure projects: the Riyadh Water Transmission System and the North German Oil Pipeline. Seeking new opportunities, the company connected with the Norwegian energy firm Equinor (then Statoil), marking the start of a long-standing relationship.
Although ILF’s initial proposal for a project with Statoil didn’t succeed, a second opportunity followed soon after: the Emden Shore Approach Study. The task was to evaluate the best way for a natural gas pipeline from Norway to cross the sensitive Wadden Sea and make landfall in Germany. Despite having no prior reference projects of this kind, ILF submitted a proposal – and won the contract.
Breaking New Ground:
From Feasibility Study to Full Facility Planning
Around the same time, Statoil was required to establish 500 million Sm³ of gas storage capacity in Germany. IVG, the German infrastructure company, offered salt caverns in the Etzel dome – formerly used for crude oil – as a solution. ILF was commissioned by IVG to conduct a feasibility study on repurposing the caverns for natural gas.
This too was uncharted territory for ILF. But by leveraging its expertise in tunnel and pipeline engineering, the team demonstrated the caverns’ suitability for gas storage. The result: ILF developed the concept for an above-ground storage facility, then went on to plan the entire site on behalf of Statoil.
This project laid the groundwork for ILF’s cavern storage know-how — a specialism the company has steadily developed over the past four decades.
Today, as the energy sector evolves, so does ILF. Their commitment to technical excellence, innovation, and adaptability continues to define their approach – and it all started with this first step into underground gas storage. We’re pleased to have this vast level of expertise in our UEST consortium.
Read the full article on the ILF website
About Underground Energy Storage Technologies (UEST)
As a centre of excellence, UEST is a strategic partnership of the HOT Energy Group, the ILF Consulting Engineers Austria, RED Drilling & Services, and CAC Engineering. The consortium fuses the individual partners’ decades of specialised know-how and expertise in underground storage technologies. UEST delivers high-end and cutting-edge solutions for natural gas (UGS), carbon dioxide (CCUS), and hydrogen storage – from prospect assessment and operational planning, drilling, workover, and well engineering, all the way through to handover of storage facilities.
Interested?
Contact us today to discuss how your underground energy storage projects can benefit from UEST’s decades of expertise!