Deposits of “white” hydrogen could meet energy demand for hundreds of years

Hydrogen may exist in abundant reserves underground. Alongside green, blue, grey and pink hydrogen, another alternative is gaining attention: in the village of Bourakébougou in western Mali, it has been powering a clean-energy success story for more than a decade. Now, large sums are being invested in the search for it. The reports were published by The Guardian and the Wall Street Journal.

According to the European Union and other geopolitical actors, hydrogen is part of the solution to the climate crisis. There is also much discussion about how to integrate it into countries’ energy systems, and the expectation is that this clean gas could replace fossil fuels in factories, power plants and homes.

Although burning hydrogen produces no carbon dioxide emissions, its production can generate them if it is made from fossil fuels, for example through steam reforming. This too can be addressed by capturing the carbon dioxide and storing it underground. Hydrogen produced by electrolysing water using renewable electricity, or nuclear power, can then be described as emissions-free. All these alternatives are viable in practice. But there is another option: hydrogen found hundreds of metres underground and trapped in natural formations.

It is already being used to generate clean electricity for homes and businesses in Bourakébougou. Geologists believe, however, that untapped white hydrogen reserves in the US, Australia and parts of Europe could provide clean energy to the world on a much larger scale.

At what cost?

The potential scale could be enormous: the US Geological Survey (USGS) has said that even if only a small fraction of the hydrogen beneath the Earth’s surface could be extracted, there would probably be enough to last for hundreds of years.

Uncertainty remains over how hydrogen forms deep within the Earth, exactly how it migrates to the surface and how best to extract it. The answers will be crucial to understanding the cost of producing white hydrogen. Estimates suggest it would be cheaper than hydrogen made from fossil fuels or water—but there are many caveats.

“The real potential of white hydrogen will depend on the results of these first projects,” says Philip Ball, a researcher at Keele University and a geologist in the field.

“We are on the cusp of new knowledge, but whether it translates into a significant new energy source is a very big question,” Ball adds.

Early birds

Koloma is among the companies currently searching for white hydrogen; Bill Gates is reportedly one of its investors. The company is operating in an area along the Midcontinent Rift System in the US.

Natural Hydrogen Energy is also targeting the 1200 km-long tectonic rift running through North America. Later this month, it is due to begin exploration work in Kansas with Australian company HyTerra.

In Europe, white hydrogen has been discovered in France, in the Lorraine Basin. British company Getech is also adapting software developed for oil exploration to search for hydrogen deposits.

“Many geologists do not understand this field. There is a feeling that if hydrogen were there, the big oil companies would have found it already. But they weren’t looking for it. Most hydrogen discoveries have been accidental,” Ball adds.