Only minimal use of this natural resource could eliminate the need for fossil fuels, not just for one year but for the next 200 years. According to scientists, there are approximately 630 trillion tons of hydrogen stored within rocks and underground reservoirs. Notably, the hydrogen stock is 26 times larger than the oil reserves on the entire planet. However, the challenge lies in its precise location, which scientists have yet to pinpoint. The identified deposits are either far offshore or buried deep underground, making extraction economically unviable due to their limited quantities.
According to geochemist Geoffrey Ellis, USGS highlights hydrogen’s potential as a major clean energy source particularly beneficial for powering vehicles and generating electricity.
He said that just 2 percent of this enormous hydrogen reserve—around 1.24 billion tons—could power the entire world with net-zero emissions. The stock of green gas is so massive that it can give energy to the entire planet for 200 years, eliminating pollution entirely.
Geologist Sarah Gelman stated that hydrogen can yield double the energy that the same amount of fossil fuel can. A study that she and Geoffrey led, featured in Science Advances journal, delves into the natural extrication of hydrogen from our planet.
Geoffrey explained that hydrogen is generated naturally underground due to the chemical reactions between rocks. When water molecules split, hydrogen and oxygen are released.
It is worth noting that several natural processes produce hydrogen, but typically in small quantities.
Interest in exploring underground hydrogen reserves surged when scientists discovered significant hydrogen deposits in chromium mines in Western Africa and Albania. This breakthrough has fueled ongoing research into uncovering hydrogen beneath the Earth’s surface.
