Natural hydrogen: the clean energy source hidden beneath our feet
Scientists now believe trillions of tons of hydrogen lie buried in the rocks and reservoirs beneath Earth’s surface, far exceeding global reserves of oil and natural gas. If a small fraction of this natural hydrogen can be used it could transform the path to net zero.
New research led by the U.S. Geological Survey estimates Earth may hold around 6.2 trillion tons of hydrogen. To put that into perspective just 2% of this stock, around 124 billion tons, could meet the world's hydrogen needs for two centuries. Clean, abundant, and naturally occurring, this hydrogen doesn’t rely on energy-intensive production methods.
Until recently, the idea of hydrogen accumulating underground seemed unlikely. Being such a small molecule, scientists assumed it would escape through cracks and pores in rocks. That assumption shifted with recent discoveries, first in West Africa, then in Albania, where vast reservoirs of hydrogen were found trapped beneath the surface. These findings sparked a rethink: if hydrogen can build up in some locations, how much more might exist worldwide?
Geoffrey Ellis, lead author of the study published in Science Advances, describes this as a game-changing possibility. "The takeaway is that there is a lot down there," he explains.
Natural hydrogen has clear benefits over its artificially produced counterparts. Unlike green hydrogen (created using renewable energy) or blue hydrogen (produced using fossil fuels), natural hydrogen is already stored underground. That means no energy is needed to produce it, and storage, often a challenge with other hydrogen solutions, is taken care of by nature itself. “You could just open a valve and close it whenever you needed it,” Ellis notes.
While scientists are still working to pinpoint exactly where these underground reservoirs are, the potential is enormous. If the geologic conditions that create hydrogen can be mapped, this natural energy source could play a key role in meeting rising global demand and securing a cleaner energy future.
