White Hydrogen Exploration Gathers Pace Across Three Continents

Scientists and start-ups are exploring naturally occurring ‘white hydrogen’ as a potential geological breakthrough that could contribute to the clean energy transition, according to OilPrice.com. Researchers in the United States, Canada, and Australia are mapping and identifying potential sources of this geologic hydrogen, which would be extracted through mining rather than produced via electrolysis using renewable energy, as is the case with ‘green hydrogen’.

Several recent discoveries have reportedly heightened expectations for mined natural hydrogen as an alternative to green hydrogen, which has faced challenges related to high costs and difficulties in securing offtake agreements. This has led to a gap between planned and launched green hydrogen projects.

Global Exploration Efforts

Exploration for white hydrogen is already underway in the U.S. and Canada. However, companies still need to demonstrate that geologic hydrogen can be produced economically at a commercial scale, OilPrice.com notes.

In Australia, a recent development involved the discovery of a potentially large hydrogen source in the iron ore deposits of Western Australia's Pilbara region. Researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) School of Engineering conducted a study focusing on the mineral magnetite, which is abundant in these iron ore deposits.

Stimulating Natural Production

The ECU researchers carried out experiments involving magnetite samples exposed to water at 200°C under high-pressure conditions for 60 days, simulating deep Earth environments. They reported finding a method to stimulate hydrogen production by injecting a solution into banded iron formations. This approach is believed to significantly enhance the potential for harnessing this naturally occurring resource.

According to the research team, their findings provide insight into the formation of natural hydrogen underground and the conditions necessary to sustain its production. This understanding could be crucial for developing large-scale commercial extraction methods for white hydrogen.