Untapped hydrogen reserves could power Earth for 200 years
Vast quantities of hydrogen are buried beneath the Earth's surface. Scientists have discovered that even a small fraction of this hydrogen could power the globe for the next 200 years. This remarkable discovery holds the potential to transform energy production and replace coal, oil, or natural gas.
Previously, scientists were sceptical about the underground accumulation of hydrogen, but recent discoveries suggest otherwise. "Trillions of tonnes of hydrogen gas are likely buried in rocks and reservoirs beneath the surface," the researchers assert, though the exact locations remain unknown. Their latest findings have been published in the scientific journal "Science Advance."
Hydrogen as a source of energy could replace coal, oil, and gas
Hydrogen is a source of clean energy capable of powering vehicles, fuelling industrial processes, and generating electricity. Until recently, it was believed that hydrogen couldn't accumulate significantly in nature because it is a small molecule that evaporates easily. Recent discoveries, including in West Africa and in a chrome mine in Albania, demonstrate that hydrogen can indeed accumulate in substantial quantities.
New research indicates that the planet holds approximately 6.2 trillion tonnes of hydrogen in rocks and underground reservoirs. That's about 26 times the amount of oil remaining underground (1.6 trillion barrels, each weighing about 0.14 tonnes). However, the precise locations of these hydrogen reserves are yet to be discovered.
Petroleum geochemist: energy from hydrogen is twice as much
Geoffrey Ellis, a petroleum geochemist at the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the lead author of the new study highlights that even a small portion of this hydrogen could satisfy our energy needs for the next 200 years and, importantly, replace fossil fuels (coal, oil, or natural gas). It is an emission-free and clean energy source. Only 2 percent of the hydrogen resources identified in the study, which equates to 112 billion tonnes of gas, "would provide all the hydrogen we need to achieve a net-zero [carbon] value for several hundred years," stated Geoffrey Ellis in the article. He explains that the energy released from this amount of hydrogen is about twice the energy stored in all known natural gas reserves on Earth.
Scientists suggest that most hydrogen is likely located too deep or too far offshore to be easily accessed, and some reserves may be too small to economically extract. Nonetheless, the findings suggest there is more than enough hydrogen to meet global needs, even accounting for these limitations. Crucially, natural hydrogen reserves remain stable where they are found, meaning they do not incur additional storage costs or necessitate further generation processes.
Demand for new energy to increase several-fold by 2050
It is anticipated that hydrogen will comprise up to 30 per cent of future energy supplies in specific sectors, and global demand is expected to increase fivefold by 2050. How can it be used? The gas is currently produced artificially through water electrolysis, whereby water molecules are split using electrical current. When renewable energy is used for this process, the result is termed "green hydrogen," while production using fossil fuels results in "blue hydrogen." According to scientists, a precise determination of hydrogen deposits in the US may emerge in the coming months.
