Delphy: A New Benchmark for Safe, Scalable Hydrogen Storage Infrastructure

Speaker

Igor Turevsky is Hydrogen Marketing Manager at Vallourec, where he is helping develop and commercialise Delphy, a large-scale hydrogen storage technology for industrial decarbonisation. Since joining the company in 2023, he has been supporting the transition of the technology from demonstration stage to its first commercial deployments. 

He holds an MBA from London Business School and a Master's degree in Power Engineering. Prior to Vallourec, Igor worked across power generation, oil & gas, venture capital, and entrepreneurship, combining expertise in rotating equipment technologies, technology investment evaluation, and the development of innovative energy ventures. 

Talk Description

Large-scale hydrogen storage is emerging as a critical enabler for the deployment of low‑carbon hydrogen across new industrial value chains such as green ammonia, e-fuels, green steel, and data center applications. While production technologies, particularly electrolysis, are progressing rapidly, the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources introduces a structural mismatch between hydrogen generation and end‑use demand that must be addressed to achieve reliable and cost‑effective operations.

This presentation reviews recent advancements in high-pressure, large-scale hydrogen storage solutions, with a focus on engineered systems designed for industrial integration. Particular attention is given to underground and modular concepts, where compressed gaseous hydrogen is stored in subsurface tubular structures, enabling capacities from several tons to industrially relevant scales, while maintaining a reduced footprint and enhanced safety profile compared to conventional above‑ground storage.

From an oil & gas and petrochemical perspective, these technologies leverage well‑established knowledge in tubular metallurgy, pressure containment and subsurface engineering, offering a familiar technological basis for scaling hydrogen infrastructure. Their deployment enables key operational functions such as buffering intermittent production, ensuring continuous feedstock supply, managing demand peaks, and improving overall project economics through decoupling production and consumption. This flexibility is particularly critical for downstream applications such as ammonia synthesis, e‑fuel production, and low‑carbon steelmaking, where safe, compact, and reliable hydrogen supply is essential to process efficiency and asset utilization.

The presentation will illustrate how these storage systems unlock practical decarbonization pathways for hard‑to‑abate sectors including refining, chemicals, steel, and synthetic fuels, by providing the flexibility and reliability required for industrial-scale hydrogen use.

Agenda:

• 13:00 - 13:15 — SPE France Section Overview. Carla Castillo, SPE France President

• 13:15 - 14:00 — Delphy: A New Benchmark for Safe, Scalable Hydrogen Storage Infrastructure. Igor Turevsky, Vallourec Hydrogen Marketing Manager

• 14:00 - 14:30 — Q&A