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There are sources of naturally occurring hydrogen, but there is currently no way to utilize this hydrogen

Naturally occurring hydrogen, referred to as "white hydrogen," is found in the Earth's crust. White hydrogen is produced through a variety of biological processes. The most significant form of natural hydrogen production is serpentinization. Serpentinization occurs when iron-rich minerals in ultramafic rocks are exposed to water, causing the minerals to oxidize and produce hydrogen. 1

Generally, hydrogen from serpentinization makes its way to the surface and eventually the atmosphere. However, hydrogen can also be trapped in porous rocks within the earth’s crust, potentially forming large reservoirs of hydrogen over time. Recent studies indicate that there may be trillions of tons of white hydrogen underneath the earth’s surface.2

Capturing and utilizing naturally occurring hydrogen is possible, but presents several challenges. The technology for identifying large deposits of white hydrogen is still in its infancy. As researchers become better at detecting natural hydrogen, it may turn out that there is not enough hydrogen in any given area to make drilling for it economically viable.3 If companies do begin excavating natural hydrogen, it would present a series of new challenges. Namely, developers would need to carefully manage hydrogen leaks from drilling sites. Hydrogen is an indirect greenhouse gas and hydrogen leaks from drilling sites would accelerate climate change. Future technological advances may overcome these challenges and enable the widespread use of natural hydrogen, but it remains uncertain whether those advances will materialize.4

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Footnotes​

  1. Blay-Roger, R., Bach, W., Bobadilla, L. F., Reina, T. R., Odriozola, J. A., Amils, R., & Blay, V. (2024). Natural hydrogen in the energy transition: Fundamentals, promise, and enigmas. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 189, 113888. ↩

  2. Pearce, F. (2024, January 25). Natural Hydrogen: A Potential Clean Energy Source Beneath Our Feet. Yale E360. https://e360.yale.edu/features/natural-geologic-hydrogen-climate-change ↩

  3. International Energy Agency. (2023). Global Hydrogen Review. https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/ecdfc3bb-d212-4a4c-9ff7-6ce5b1e19cef/GlobalHydrogenReview2023.pdf ↩

  4. Hand, E. (2023, September, 7). U.S. bets it can drill for climate-friendly hydrogen—just like oil. Science. https://www.science.org/content/article/u-s-bets-it-can-drill-climate-friendly-hydrogen-just-oil ↩