What is White Hydrogen?

What is White Hydrogen? 

White hydrogen is almost pure hydrogen naturally formed in the earth. It potentially forms through mineral and water reacting underneath the ground. While we’re not yet sure how white hydrogen deposits occur yet, it is hoped they could become a viable source of energy.  

How is White Hydrogen different from other types of Hydrogen?

You’ve likely encountered hydrogen as a fuel source before, with some of the most well-known types including green, blue, grey, and pink hydrogen.

Produced using renewable energy, green hydrogen is one of the most well-known but also expensive forms of hydrogen as a fuel source. Grey hydrogen uses fossil fuels to produce a viable fuel, while pink hydrogen utilises nuclear energy and blue hydrogen harnesses the power of natural gas. Most of these hydrogen generation methods require fossil fuels as part of the production process, creating CO2. White hydrogen is naturally forming, so it does not require fossil fuels. This zero-emission aspect and natural abundance of white hydrogen, coupled with the fact that it only produces heat when it burns, makes white hydrogen a low-carbon fuel source.  

Where is White Hydrogen found? 

White hydrogen is naturally occurring underground in the earth. We look at some of the areas where hydrogen has been found.  

White hydrogen deposits have been found in Africa, Spain, France, Oman, USA and Australia. 

One of the most notable white hydrogen discoveries was in Mali, Africa in 2012, when an ex-well borehole leaked close to pure hydrogen. 

Natural white hydrogen deposits have been found in several locations in  Europe, with Spain and France being two prominent areas of discovery. Last year, production started drilling more than a million tonnes of white hydrogen in Spain. Helios Aragón, an exploration agency, discovered the huge reservoir in the northeast of the country.  

Benefits of White Hydrogen 

As a natural resource, white hydrogen offers benefits that make it a low-carbon solution to the renewable energy sector.  

1. Zero-emissions production process 

For white hydrogen to be created, the right conditions need to be present for the deposits to occur. As far as we know, creating these conditions does not require carbon emissions to take place, making white hydrogen a zero-emissions production process. Current processes that generate other types of hydrogen are less clean and can include reforming methane or gasifying coal, which are not zero-emission.  

2. Cost-effectiveness compared to synthetic hydrogen production 

White hydrogen may be a cheaper alternative to green hydrogen. Currently kilogram of green hydrogen can cost around €5. By comparison, white hydrogen can have a low cost of €0.50 per kilogram. 

3. Potential to revolutionise the clean energy sector 

White hydrogen's renewable abilities could revolutionise the renewable energy sector. Fossil fuels can take millions of years to regenerate, whereas white hydrogen replenishes itself constantly. This continued generation of hydrogen would make it a good solution for heavy industry or heavy transport that isn’t able to use e-batteries. The aviation and heavy manufacturing industries may also benefit from using white hydrogen.  

Challenges in utilising White Hydrogen 

As with all explorative technologies, white hydrogen has its sticking points. We examine the elements that make it difficult to implement. 

1. Difficulties in exploration and extraction 

Because white hydrogen is formed naturally in specific geological conditions, many deposits are not simple or straightforward to locate or extract. It’s thought that many of the deposits of white hydrogen are located in impossible-to-access areas in the ocean. 

2. Regulatory and environmental concerns 

Scientific reports suggest that white hydrogen, as a naturally occurring resource, may be prone to leaking, which could have negative environmental impacts. The main issue with white hydrogen leaking into the atmosphere is that the chemical reaction can affect the molecules that destroy greenhouse gases in our environment, which can reduce the effectiveness of carbon reduction efforts. White hydrogen must be handled correctly to ensure it doesn’t leak into the atmosphere, and advanced technology must be developed to assist with this issue. 

3. Limited current technology for large-scale production 

Currently the technology we have in place to prevent leaking white hydrogen is lacking, but there are other issues in scaling up white hydrogen production. White hydrogen also needs a lot of space for capture and needs high temperatures to be liquified - up to -253°C. There currently isn’t a reliable pipe network to distribute hydrogen effectively, making it an expensive technology, though there are hopes that it can be re-routed through infrastructure that already exists for fossil fuels. Still, some research shows hydrogen could crack pipes currently used for gas distribution.  

Future of White Hydrogen in the energy market 

1. Current research and developments 

In France, vast deposits of white hydrogen have been found in the Lorraine region after methane testing was carried out by University of Lorraine’s GeoRessources Lab, France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and energy producer La Française de l’Energie. Currently, exploration is taking place to determine the amount of white hydrogen deposited, but it is thought there could be up to 46 million tonnes, more than half of all grey hydrogen produced worldwide.  

2. Potential impact on global hydrogen markets 

With the current estimates of white hydrogen costing €0.50 per kilogram vs. €5 per kilogram for green hydrogen, white hydrogen has an opportunity to make hydrogen a more competitive fuel source in the energy market. As the price of white hydrogen goes down, it could potentially reset the overall cost of the hydrogen market, offering a lower-cost and lower-carbon renewable energy solution.  

3. Role in achieving net-zero emissions goals 

Providing a low-carbon solution to the renewable industry will help organisations achieve net-zero emissions goals. They can opt to consume an energy type that produces lower carbon emissions as opposed to fossil fuels or even more energy-intensive types of hydrogen, such as green.  

As research and technology advance, white hydrogen has the potential to become a game-changer in the clean energy sector, offering a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.