There is a frozen spot in America that is a hot spot for an extremely valuable gas. This frozen spot, fondly referred to as “The Great Land,” hides a colossal mine that could be the global heart of none other than hydrogen. The Great Land’s official state flower is the “Forget-Me-Not,” and we can without a doubt confirm that it will never be forgotten after this major discovery, as it could potentially change the future of the renewable energy industry forever. Earth’s future is suddenly looking a whole lot brighter.
The importance of hydrogen in the renewable energy industry
We have been relying on carbon-heavy sectors for as long as time can tell. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, within the United States, the primary carbon-heavy sectors are:
- Manufacturing, mining, and construction industries
- Power and heat production
- Transportation
- Agriculture
- Waste management
These sectors are culprits of extreme carbon emissions and are great contributors to climate change. If these sectors do not become decarbonized soon, achieving the global mission of net-zero will be near impossible, and we can start saying goodbye to sustainable development for the ever-increasing global population. This is where hydrogen’s importance in the renewable energy industry comes in.
According to CNBC, not only is hydrogen essential in decarbonizing carbon-heavy sectors, but it also plays a fundamental role in energy storage in these ways:
- Power intermittency
- Hydrogen can store high amounts of power from renewable sources
- Long-term storage
- Can store power for extended periods
- Grid stabilization
- Power plants can utilize stored hydrogen to produce power during peak demands or when renewable output is low
This frozen spot’s colossal mine could be the global hydrogen heart
The frozen spot in America, the Great Land, is none other than Alaska. And its colossal hydrogen mine could change our future. One thing that must always be considered is the type of hydrogen. It is the world’s most mysterious energy source, as it is polluting in one country, and non-polluting in another. According to the company, Granite Creek Copper Ltd., this potential hydrogen reserve is a clean source.
This clean source of hydrogen is called geological hydrogen, also referred to as white hydrogen. According to Metal Tech News, white hydrogen is produced naturally by a process that comprises iron-rich rock formations. Granite Creek and Cornell University have partnered to research the potential of white hydrogen.
“Our team looks forward to this collaboration with Granite Creek on strategies to stimulate geologic hydrogen production, with an emphasis on exploring the ultramafic resources in Alaska.” – Greeshma Gadikota, a Cornell associate professor
Geological hydrogen is the best color of hydrogen
In general, hydrogen is combined with other elements in hydrocarbons, water, and other forms. Splitting hydrogen from natural gas or water usually utilizes vast amounts of energy, is expensive, and results in carbon emissions, which defeats the purpose, as per Metal Tech News. Hydrogen is thus categorized with colors, which represent the respective carbon footprints. White hydrogen is the best type.
Grey hydrogen
Obtained by splitting natural gas for chemicals, fertilizers, and steel. It costs $2 per kg and has a high carbon footprint.
Green hydrogen
Obtained by splitting water molecules with renewables, thus has a low carbon footprint. It costs $7 per kg, making it too expensive for global supply.
The research team will be exploring methods to speed up the production of naturally occurring geological or white hydrogen in these rock formations in Alaska. Professor Gadikota believes their research could also recover critical metals while providing solutions for durable carbon storage. Should we be able to obtain white hydrogen at a faster rate, we could be decarbonizing carbon-heavy sectors much more easily and quickly than before. This state’s super-hot rocks could also be producing infinite energy soon.
