The prospect of gas storage in underground salt caverns in the Monolithi area

The prospect of gas storage in underground salt caverns in the Monolithi area

The energy dependence of Greece on natural gas is expected to rise gradually in the following years. However, there is an absence of the necessary storage facilities that could support this. Therefore, the necessity of their construction becomes greater and greater. The present paper aims at studying the underground storage areas for natural gas, within artificial salt cavern complexes. It provides a general report on natural gas storage, mainly in the US and Europe. Furthermore, a review on the artificial creation of caverns within salt formations is presented. Key financial figures related to the construction cost as well as figures related to the potential of the underground storage areas are also shown. The geological characteristics of the appropriate formations are described. Finally, Epirus is discussed as a possible area for storing natural gas due to the existence of salt formations that could be used for this purpose, especially in the Monolithi area.