The global energy revolution’s horizon brightens with the unveiling of an almost inexhaustible source of natural hydrogen trapped underground, potentially meeting global energy demands for centuries.
The Challenges of Green Hydrogen
Green hydrogen holds promise as a clean energy carrier, capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions across transportation, industry, and power generation, offering an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels and aiding global decarbonization efforts.
Yet, green hydrogen’s reliance on electrolysis, which uses electricity to split hydrogen from water, presents a significant challenge due to the dependency on freshwater—a scarce resource in many regions. Excessive use of freshwater for green hydrogen production could exacerbate water shortages, impacting aquatic ecosystems and dependent communities.
While hydrogen presents a viable alternative to fossil fuels, its production must be balanced with freshwater availability, highlighting the need for more efficient and sustainable electrolysis technologies or exploring other options like geological hydrogen.
Trillions of Tons of Hydrogen Beneath the Earth
Geological hydrogen, trapped in rock formations, contrasts with green hydrogen. This resource, overlooked in the global energy landscape, gains attention due to recent discoveries of vast reserves, sparking renewed interest and potential for alternative energy use.
Recent findings from the US Geological Survey reveal that up to 5,500 trillion tons of hydrogen could be lying in underground reserves, formed from iron-rich minerals interacting with groundwater.
Towards a New ‘Gold Rush’
Accessing this hydrogen abundance poses challenges, with much of the resource potentially unreachable. However, Geoffrey Ellis’s preliminary study results suggest that even marginal recovery could meet the projected global demand of 500 million tons annually for centuries.
This revelation paves a new path for meeting growing energy needs, challenging traditional and renewable energy solutions. While “golden hydrogen” might offer sustainability beyond green hydrogen, environmental concerns linger, particularly if it’s mixed with greenhouse gases like methane.
Investments could unlock technological advancements, revealing cleaner, more efficient methods to harness this plentiful resource, potentially transforming the global energy landscape and propelling humanity into a promising new era.
