With the rise of green energy and the search for a new way to power our lifestyles, there is one that is shaping up to be one of the best and more readily available resources. After all, it can be found in plenty of places that are, if not accessible, identifiable, like hydrothermal systems, volcanic vents, the ocean floor, and even deep inside the Earth’s crust. This is what is known as natural hydrogen or white hydrogen, and it is considered a super clean energy source due to the fact that when it burns it just turns into water.
Considering its very low environmental impact, it makes it the perfect energy source for the energy transition that we must make in the world to work on our sustainability. But that is not the only reason to use hydrogen, the main one is, in fact, that it is quite versatile. As an anecdote, the space industry takes advantage of the versatility of hydrogen by converting the leftovers in rockets into drinking water for astronauts.
Hydrogen as a new and versatile source of energy, is it feasible?
The tipping point occurred in Albania, inside the Bulqizë mine, where scientists came across one of the biggest natural hydrogen deposits known to date. It was found down in a pool of water nearly a kilometer underground, where a gas was stored that was 84% hydrogen, with just a bit of nitrogen and methane mixed in. The site is estimated to release about 220 tons of hydrogen per year naturally, straight from the Earth. That means it would not have to be mined for or produced, which would use energy, it would just be right there waiting to be harnessed.
It is the Earth itself that would produce the gas, as the mine sits on a stretch of ophiolitic rock, which is rich in iron and when these rocks react with water and create hydrogen all on their own. Ophiolites are technically oceanic crust, but thanks to tectonic movements they are displaced from their places of origin and are found on land where they contribute to this natural phenomenon.
In the case of Bulqizë, researchers think there might be as much as 55,000 tons (or 50,000 metric tons) of hydrogen tucked away in a reservoir beneath the surface, which, if true, could keep producing for over two centuries. And with 220 tons leaking out naturally each year, scientists are hopeful they would be able to track down even more sources like it.
The problem with this is its harnessing, and is the same as with any other natural resource, finite or not, and that is the environmental impact of its extractions. These deep underground areas could be habitats for unique ecosystems, part of what is known as the deep biosphere, and disturbing it could have severe consequences that we are unaware of. Right now, most commercial hydrogen is made using fossil fuels, taking a lot of energy and still relying on fossil fuel input, which ends up releasing greenhouse gases. That version is known as gray hydrogen.
There is also green hydrogen, which is made using renewable energy instead and is thus cleaner, but it is more expensive and if it could be replaced with the naturally occurring substance, it would be a lot better for the environment and cheaper. Extracting green hydrogen can cost about $6 per kilogram, while white hydrogen is estimated at about $1 per kilogram, significantly more sustainable long term in terms of costs.
The issue now remains the extraction process and the environmental impact that we are still unaware of, but considering the rate at which we use energy, anything that is closer to a compromise is a good alternative option.