Methane as a Battery? How TSTM Could Solve the Seasonal Storage Puzzle — Cheaper and Smarter than Batteries or Hydrogen.
Europe’s forgotten pipes: A hidden El Dorado with 340 GWh of seasonal energy potential
While batteries and hydrogen dominate the headlines on storage, they cannot solve the biggest challenge: low-cost, large-scale seasonal energy storage. The Tubular Storage Tank Module (TSTM) offers a radically different approach by using high-pressure steel tubes to store compressed methane (CH₄) at up to 250 bar, achieving an energy density of 2.5 MWh per m³.
Compared to lithium-ion batteries and pumped storage power plants, TSTM is up to 98% cheaper, with costs of only €2,273/MWh (or €2,323/MWh including gas price). It requires no water, uses existing infrastructure (e.g., Nord Stream 2 pipelines), and enables the production of climate-neutral green hydrogen on site through pyrolysis, leaving only solid carbon as a by-product.
This article contains detailed calculations, volume analyses, and real-world economic comparisons that show why TSTM is not just another theoretical concept, but a scalable, practical solution for seasonal energy security.
The DOI links to the entire analysis: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15799735