Unlocking the Potential of Natural Hydrogen: A Low-Carbon Energy Source
Key Ideas
- Natural hydrogen, formed through geochemical and biological processes, offers a low-carbon energy source globally. It can be used for industrial processes, ammonia production, energy storage, and transportation.
- The UK, despite focusing on green and blue hydrogen, has untapped potential for natural hydrogen. Current lack of databases and exploration hinder its development.
- Reports from The Royal Society highlight the importance of hydrogen, including natural hydrogen, in creating a world-class hydrogen economy, reducing emissions in industries, and enabling cleaner fuel production.
- The use of natural hydrogen, particularly in ammonia production, has the potential to significantly decrease the climate impact of chemical manufacturing processes.
The concept of natural hydrogen, occurring in the Earth's crust through various chemical reactions, presents itself as a promising low-carbon energy source on a global scale and particularly in the UK. This type of hydrogen, formed naturally without human intervention, is known by different names like white hydrogen or gold hydrogen. The production mechanisms of natural hydrogen involve processes such as serpentinisation and radiolysis, leading to its accumulation in subsurface reservoirs alongside other gases. While natural hydrogen is currently commercially produced only in one location in Mali, its presence has been detected in small concentrations in various countries like the USA, France, Canada, and Australia.
Natural hydrogen can serve multiple purposes similar to other hydrogen types, including powering industrial operations, manufacturing fertilizers and ammonia, energy storage, and fueling heavy transport. Despite the UK's strong focus on green and blue hydrogen, this report sheds light on the potential of natural hydrogen in the country. The absence of databases and comprehensive exploration efforts limits the evaluation of natural hydrogen occurrences in the UK.
Furthermore, reports from The Royal Society emphasize the critical role of hydrogen, both natural and manufactured, in advancing towards a sustainable, low-carbon economy. The green hydrogen roadmap outlines the necessary infrastructure and regulations for a robust hydrogen economy, with implications for natural hydrogen utilization as well. Hydrogen, especially natural hydrogen, is seen as a vital low-carbon feedstock in defossilizing the chemical industry by providing a cleaner alternative for chemicals manufacturing. Additionally, the use of low-emissions natural hydrogen in green ammonia production holds promise in reducing emissions from challenging-to-clean industries and enhancing clean fuel production. If natural hydrogen can be harnessed reliably and cost-effectively, it has the potential to significantly mitigate the environmental impact of ammonia production.