It could play a crucial role in combating climate change
A groundbreaking new study has suggested there could be trillions of tons of underground resources that could power the earth for 1,000 years.
According to research led by Geoffrey Ellis of the U.S. Geological Survey, the hydrogen gas buried deep beneath the surface could provide enough energy to reduce global reliance on fossil fuels for 1,000 years.
This geological hydrogen, formed naturally through geochemical processes, is estimated to total around 6.2 trillion tons, with significant potential to serve as a low-carbon energy resource.
The quantity of hydrogen stored in rocks and underground reservoirs far exceed the size of known oil reserves by a factor of 261.
While hydrogen reserves have already been identified in places such as Albania and Mali, researchers believe similar deposits exist worldwide.
The research alters how we view hydrogen as an energy source and its potential for large-scale applications.
However, much of this hydrogen is likely buried too deep or located offshore, making large-scale extraction challenging.
The study, published in Science Advances, suggests that tapping into just 2% of the estimated reserves could meet the world’s hydrogen needs for 200 years, helping achieve net-zero carbon goals.
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The energy contained in these reserves exceeds that of all proven natural gas deposits, highlighting the potential of hydrogen as a clean alternative.
However, experts like Prof. Bill McGuire of University College London warn that developing the infrastructure to extract hydrogen at scale would require a massive global effort.
McGuire highlighted the need for substantial infrastructure investments to support an extraction on this scale.
He also questioned whether exploiting another finite resource is the best approach, given the growing availability of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
