The white hydrogen boom could be within sight based on recent finds in France, the United States, and other parts of the world. However, developers are still not sure of the costs involved with exploiting white hydrogen resources, as well as the technical challenges to accessing reserves, making the outlook uncertain.
Unlike other low-carbon forms of hydrogen, such as blue and green hydrogen, white hydrogen is naturally occurring. The geologic hydrogen, often referred to as natural or white hydrogen, is produced naturally when underground water crosses paths with iron-rich rocks in a process known as serpentinization. Hydrogen is so light that it naturally seeps through porous rocks and cracks before rising to the atmosphere. However, in some instances, hydrogen can become trapped under rocks with low permeability, which allows the gas to accumulate.
If researchers could better understand how and where natural hydrogen accumulates, they could exploit the resources to provide an alternative supply of clean hydrogen. A U.S. Geological Survey study from 2024 suggests that there could be anywhere between 1 billion and 10 trillion tonnes of hydrogen in the subsurface.
As companies worldwide race to produce or access a variety of low-carbon energies, white hydrogen could be the natural resource researchers have been hoping for to provide clean energy to various regions worldwide. The global demand for low-carbon hydrogen is expected to reach nearly 200 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by 2050, from 1 Mtpa at present, according to estimates from the research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.
The cost of producing green hydrogen, the most popular low-carbon hydrogen, is extremely high, ranging from $6 a to $12 per kilogram, which deters many companies from producing green hydrogen, opting instead for blue or grey hydrogen, using natural gas rather than renewable energy as an input. If researchers could determine how and where to mine white hydrogen, it could provide a clean, lower-cost alternative to green hydrogen. It is thought that white hydrogen produced at scale from reservoirs located in proximity to end-users could be produced at a cost of below $1/kg.
At present, the only operational white hydrogen project is the Bourakébougou field in Mali, which provides electricity to a small village. Few companies are investing in white hydrogen production at present, as little is known about how and where to exploit the resource. However, there is a slowly growing interest in the industry, with projects emerging in both France and the United States.
In May 2023, in France, a team of scientists discovered white hydrogen deposits when exploring abandoned mines in the Lorraine region. Further exploration in the nearby Moselle this year has resulted in the discovery of additional reserves, with a combined value of approximately 92 million tonnes and a value of roughly $92 billion.
In February 2024, the geological research company Mantle8 secured financing to test an innovative technology, which uses geology, geophysics, and geochemistry data and sensors to produce 4D images of the Earth’s mantle to understand where white hydrogen reservoirs are located and monitor the volume of hydrogen in these reservoirs. The company is expected to commence exploratory drilling in the southwest of France in 2028.
Meanwhile, in the United States, researchers at Oklahoma State University have secured $25,000 in funding to explore white hydrogen reserves in the state. The School of Chemical Engineering’s research team will survey various areas for natural hydrogen deposits in a project that will run until July 2026.
Prem Bikkina, a professor of petroleum engineering who is leading the research, said that Oklahoma is “exceptionally well positioned to emerge as a leader in natural hydrogen development” thanks to the state’s “subsurface potential and above-ground readiness”. As it is the fifth-largest crude oil-producing state in the country, it has existing infrastructure that could be adapted to produce white hydrogen.
Eric Gaucher, a French geochemist who co-leads an International Energy Agency white hydrogen expert group, suggests that the discovery of a commercially viable white hydrogen reservoir could spur a new age of exploration. “The hope is to make a big discovery in the next three or four years. My dream is that this natural hydrogen can play a role, maybe as oil played in the past,” said Gaucher. However, as there are still major uncertainties around the recoverability of white hydrogen, Gaucher suggested that it is important to remain modest about the role of natural hydrogen in the global green transition.
There are high hopes around the potential exploitation of white hydrogen reserves to provide an alternative, cheaper source of clean energy, as the global demand continues to rise. However, there are still major challenges to exploiting natural hydrogen resources, with little known about how and where the hydrogen is formed and how to effectively access it. While a major discovery could provide the potential for commercial production, significantly more research and development is required to better understand the industry.
By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com
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