White hydrogen, also known as natural (geological) hydrogen, is increasingly attracting the attention of scientists following discoveries in France, the United States, and other parts of the world. Unlike blue and green hydrogen, it forms naturally when underground water interacts with iron-rich rocks in a process known as serpentinization. The gas is extremely light and usually rises toward the atmosphere, but in some cases it can be trapped beneath low-permeability rock layers and accumulate. However, it is still unclear what the actual costs of its extraction are and what technical challenges this process involves, which makes the prospects uncertain.
If scientists manage to understand where and how natural hydrogen accumulates, it could become an alternative source of low-carbon energy. A 2024 study suggests that between 1 billion and 10 trillion tons of hydrogen may be contained beneath the Earth’s surface. Global demand for low-carbon hydrogen is expected to grow to nearly 200 million tons per year by 2050, compared to about 1 million tons at present. The production of green hydrogen remains expensive, while according to some estimates, white hydrogen, if extracted close to end users, could cost less than 1 dollar per kilogram.
So far, the only operating white hydrogen project is in Mali, where a small deposit provides electricity to a local settlement. Interest, however, is growing: in France, significant quantities of hydrogen have been identified in abandoned mines, and in the United States, opportunities are being explored in the state of Oklahoma, which has a suitable geological structure and existing infrastructure. Despite these prospects, scientists emphasize that there are still serious unknowns surrounding the formation and extraction of this resource and that further research is needed before white hydrogen can take on a significant role in the transition to cleaner energy.
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/white-hydrogen-emerges-wild-card-160000200.html
