Why in the News?

Hydrogen, if harvested in a sustainable manner, may provide a clean and potentially low-cost fuel to satisfy the world’s increasing energy needs with a considerable reduction in carbon emissions.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Natural Hydrogen (Introduction, Origins, Global Distribution, India’s Geological Potential, Viability, Challenges, etc.)

Introduction

• Hydrogen is increasingly seen as a cornerstone in the global shift toward clean energy.
• While green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis using renewable energy, has been at the centre of this discourse, attention is rapidly shifting to naturally occurring geological hydrogen, often referred to as “white” or “gold” hydrogen.
• With promising discoveries across continents and growing interest from both governments and private players, natural hydrogen could potentially serve as a sustainable and low-cost fuel, significantly reducing global carbon emissions.

Understanding Natural Hydrogen and Its Origins

• Unlike hydrogen produced through industrial processes, natural hydrogen occurs as a free gas beneath the earth’s surface, formed through natural geological mechanisms such as:
  • Serpentinization (water reacting with iron-rich rocks)
  • Radiolysis (splitting of water by radioactive rocks)
  • Thermal decomposition of deep organic matter
• Previously considered geologically unstable due to its light and reactive nature, hydrogen was thought incapable of forming viable underground reserves.
• This perception changed following accidental discoveries, most notably in 1987 in Bourakébougou, Mali, where a flame from a drill site later turned out to be nearly pure hydrogen.

Global Distribution and Recent Discoveries

• Recent advances in geophysical studies and drilling technology have revealed that natural hydrogen reserves could be far more abundant than once believed. Hundreds of gas seeps have now been identified in:
  • Australia, United States, France, Spain, Albania, South Korea, and Canada
  • Lorraine and Moselle regions of France, where estimated deposits in 2025 reached 92 million tonnes, valued at nearly $92 billion
• According to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) model, tens of trillions of tonnes of natural hydrogen could exist globally.
• Even if only 2% of this is recoverable, it could supply current global hydrogen demand for up to 200 years, potentially delivering twice as much energy as known natural gas reserves.

India’s Geological Potential

• India, though yet to begin active commercial exploration, holds considerable geological promise for natural hydrogen reserves:
  • Ophiolite complexes in the Himalayas and Andamans
  • Greenstone belts in Dharwar and Singhbhum cratons
  • Sedimentary basins in Vindhyan, Gondwana, Cuddapah, and Chhattisgarh
  • Basement rock formations and hot spring regions
• Given India’s aggressive decarbonisation goals and the need for energy security, the exploration of natural hydrogen could be a strategic breakthrough in its energy mix.

Economic and Industrial Viability

• The cost of extracting natural hydrogen is emerging as a game-changing advantage.
• Unlike green hydrogen, which costs around $4-6/kg, preliminary estimates from start-ups and geological studies suggest that natural hydrogen could be extracted for as low as $1/kg, cheaper than even conventional grey hydrogen (produced from natural gas).
• In the U.S., venture funding in natural hydrogen startups reached $245 million in 2024, with companies like Koloma attracting investments from tech giants and climate-focused funds, including Amazon’s Climate Fund and Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
• Even traditional energy companies like BP and Rio Tinto have started backing exploration start-ups like Snowfox Discovery, signalling confidence in the sector’s commercial viability.

Challenges and Future Outlook

• Despite growing enthusiasm, significant challenges remain:
  • Lack of comprehensive mapping and exploration frameworks
  • Uncertainty around economic recoverability of scattered deposits
  • Need for regulatory clarity and policy support
• Yet, the rate of discovery, coupled with international momentum, indicates that natural hydrogen may evolve into a mainstream clean fuel within the next two decades.
• As a zero-emission fuel that requires no carbon-intensive production processes, it holds the potential to revolutionize global energy systems, much like oil did in the 20th century.

Conclusion

Natural hydrogen is transitioning from a geological curiosity to a strategic energy opportunity. As more nations and companies invest in its exploration, and with models projecting a vast and long-lasting resource, the fuel once hidden underground may power the clean energy ambitions of the future.

For India and the world, natural hydrogen offers not just a cleaner path, but a potentially more equitable and accessible energy future.