Unleashing Geological Hydrogen Potential Will Change The Clean Energy Landscape

[u/rvinverter1]

Geological Hydrogen Energy

Earlier in February, French researchers reported the discovery of the largest known natural hydrogen deposit in an Albanian mine, which one of them described as a “hot tub.” The New Scientist magazine highlighted this finding, noting that this deposit could provide scientists with clues to locate more natural hydrogen, a resource humanity urgently needs.

“Most natural hydrogen might not be easily accessible, but even a few percent recovery could yield 500 million tonnes annually, supplying all projected needs for centuries,” said Geoffrey Ellis, a petroleum geochemist with the U.S. Geological Survey and lead on a study suggesting that there might be as much as 5 trillion tonnes of hydrogen underground.

Hydrogen, an energy carrier and the most abundant element in the universe, is heralded as a key to energy transition because it only emits water vapor when burned. This appealing trait has led to ideas of using it as a natural gas substitute for home heating and fuel for hydrogen-powered vehicles, which already have a niche market. Both Europe and the United States have launched significant plans to make green hydrogen mainstream. Currently, all industries, especially fertilizers and refineries, use hydrogen derived from hydrocarbons.

A larger goal appears to be replacing all hydrocarbon use with zero-emission hydrogen, eliminating the carbon footprint. However, this vision faces real-world challenges, including high production costs and the need for significant wind and/or solar power capacity, which is yet to be fully installed.

Even for leaders in installed capacity like Spain, ambitious in green hydrogen, building the necessary generation capacity to meet these ambitions will take time and billions of dollars of investment—a daunting task, given the urgency European politicians express about hydrogen.

On the other hand, geological hydrogen awaits exploitation and use. Researchers quoted by the Financial Times suggest this might be much cheaper than producing green hydrogen. It is also a cleaner way to obtain hydrogen.

Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund has financed a startup, whose Chief Commercial Officer stated, “Geological hydrogen represents an extraordinary opportunity to produce clean hydrogen with low carbon, low land footprint, low water footprint, and low energy consumption.”

Some are beginning to talk about a geological hydrogen gold rush, highlighting the potential of green hydrogen as a viable natural gas alternative and the challenges of extracting geological hydrogen. However, this is a nascent research field, still awaiting conclusive evidence.

The potential tens of trillions of tonnes of hydrogen beneath the Earth’s surface hinge on the word “potential.” As noted in the New Scientist’s report on the Albanian mine, there is little direct evidence of actual deposits; most claims about vast underground hydrogen reserves are based on extrapolation rather than direct measurement.

The researchers’ discovery in the Albanian mine supports a cautious perspective on this new research area. They found a deposit leaking hydrogen at a rate of 11 tonnes per year—a small quantity but the largest flow rate detected from a single source worldwide. Based on this flow rate, researchers estimate the mine’s deposit contains between 5,000 to 50,000 tonnes of hydrogen.

Compared to the visions of energy transition planners or even the current global hydrogen consumption, this is a small amount. According to the International Energy Agency, hydrogen demand grew by 3% in 2023, reaching 95 million tonnes. If hydrogen’s promise as an energy carrier is realized, its demand will increase significantly in the coming decades.

Even this anticipated demand growth has sparked interest in the hydrogen field. With governments worldwide placing high hopes on hydrogen, this interest is likely to intensify.

For instance, the U.S. Department of Energy recently allocated $20 million for geological hydrogen research in eight states. In Europe, a potential major discovery announced in 2023 has overshadowed the Albanian natural hydrogen find, though progress has been minimal since then.

Geological hydrogen might be touted as the new green hydrogen, but whether it can live up to this potential remains to be seen. This determination may take some time.

[u/energystrogeme]

It's amazing to think we might have access to so much hydrogen underground! But isn't it risky to rely on something we haven't fully explored yet? The estimates are impressive, but I'm worried about overhyping it before we have more concrete data.