Natural or white hydrogen is emerging as a promising resource in the global transition toward sustainable energy. Unlike industrially produced hydrogen (green and blue), white hydrogen is generated naturally through geological processes such as serpentinization, radiolysis of water, mantle degassing, and rock weathering. Of the various methods, serpentinization is the most interesting for commercial use as it has a high and localized hydrogen production, making it an attractive option for exploration.
This study explores white hydrogen's geological and economic potential, focusing on its formation mechanisms, behavior in the subsurface, reservoir modeling, extraction, and hydrogen transportation methods. It highlights the parallels between hydrogen and petroleum systems and how such a comparison can help understand natural hydrogen for commercial use. For subsurface behavior, it is essential to factor in the role of faults, fractures, and porous rock formations in hydrogen migration and trapping. Advanced technologies such as seismic imaging, geophysical modeling, and specialized drilling techniques are essential for locating and extracting hydrogen efficiently.
The economic feasibility of white hydrogen extraction is supported by low estimated production costs of around $1 per kilogram, making it competitive with gray and blue hydrogen and significantly more affordable than green hydrogen. Transportation and storage methods, including compressed gas, cryogenic liquids, and innovative materials like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), are critical to scaling white hydrogen for industrial and energy applications.
White hydrogen offers substantial environmental benefits, including lower greenhouse gas emissions and minimal ecological impact during extraction. Its continuous production from natural processes makes it a renewable resource.
This essay concludes that white hydrogen has the potential to be a useful renewable energy source that can help replacing natural gas in several industrial processes, and can therefore contribute significantly to global decarbonization efforts. With further research in exploration and extraction, economic investment, and policy support, white hydrogen could play a significant role in helping humanity achieve its carbon-free future.