France has discovered the world’s largest known reserve of white hydrogen, a naturally occurring pure hydrogen formed underground through geological reactions between minerals and water. It is considered a clean energy source, as its production and use do not result in carbon dioxide emissions.
This deposit was discovered during methane exploration in Folschviller, located in the Moselle region, by researchers from the Georessources laboratory and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). They stumbled upon a massive reserve estimated at around 46 million tons of white hydrogen at a depth of approximately 1250 meters. The value of this reserve is estimated at about $92 billion, which is equivalent to more than half of the grey hydrogen produced annually worldwide, but without the associated environmental impact.
This naturally occurring hydrogen, termed white hydrogen, does not require energy for its formation. While green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources and grey hydrogen is extracted from fossil fuels, white hydrogen forms naturally, requiring no energy input and generating no carbon emissions during its formation. This makes it a highly efficient and sustainable energy source.
White hydrogen extraction technologies are still in the early stages of development. Currently, there are no cost-effective methods for extracting large quantities from underground. The process may require drilling deep wells and developing techniques to separate the hydrogen from other gases and impurities present. Furthermore, efficient and safe storage and transportation methods need to be developed after extraction, given its light and flammable nature.
Despite the challenges, the promising potential of white hydrogen encourages increased research and innovation to find effective ways to extract and utilize it. Such a discovery accelerates the adoption of hydrogen technologies by companies and policymakers, stimulating the rapid development of hydrogen-powered machinery and contributing to its greater availability.
