The next big thing in hydrogen could be underground
There’s a hunt for new sources of hydrogen, and the gas (or at least the right conditions to make it) could be hiding beneath our feet. Hydrogen can be used as a fuel in everything from large trucks to planes to steelmaking. It’s often hailed as a climate solution because when burned, it produces water…
The search for new sources of hydrogen is expanding underground, with naturally occurring hydrogen gas potentially hiding beneath the Earth's surface. Hydrogen, a clean fuel when burned, produces water and oxygen with no carbon emissions, making it an attractive climate solution. Traditionally, hydrogen has been produced using fossil fuels, primarily natural gas, but there's a shift towards cleaner production methods.
These include electrolyzers powered by renewable electricity and established fossil-fuel-based processes enhanced with carbon capture. However, both have faced challenges due to high costs. A new field, geologic hydrogen, is gaining traction, with hydrogen resources found across various continents, including the Midwest in the US.
HyTerra, an Australian company, is searching for hydrogen in Nebraska and Kansas, with samples showing hydrogen concentrations of up to 96%. Koloma, a company with over $400 million in funding, is also prospecting in the region. The main challenge is determining the extent of hydrogen produced by natural processes and its effectiveness in capture.
Some companies are actively stimulating geologic hydrogen by adding water, catalysts, or other factors to facilitate the reaction. Vema Hydrogen, a Texas-based company, is testing this method in Quebec, with plans for full-scale production in 2028. Other companies focus on different aspects of hydrogen production, such as Eden GeoPower, which uses electricity to create fracture networks in rocks, improving pathways for water absorption.
Despite the potential, questions remain about transporting and storing hydrogen, which requires significant space or extremely low temperatures to become liquid. Nonetheless, if engineering and logistics succeed, geologic hydrogen could usher in a new era for this promising clean fuel.
Written by urgent.news from MIT Technology Review's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
