Central Idea

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists searching for fossil fuels beneath northeastern France stumbled upon a vast reservoir of hydrogen.
Initial calculations suggest that this deposit of “white hydrogen” is among the largest ever found, estimated to range from 6 million to 250 million metric tons, holding immense promise for clean energy applications.

Understanding White Hydrogen

White hydrogen is a naturally occurring gas found within the Earth’s crust.
While hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it typically combines with other molecules.
Hydrogen is hailed as a promising clean energy source for industries such as aviation, shipping, and steel production.
Its combustion produces only water, making it a highly eco-friendly energy option compared to solar or wind energy.

	Obtained from	Production Method	Carbon Emissions
Green Hydrogen	Water and renewable energy sources	Electrolysis with renewables	Very low to zero
Blue Hydrogen	Natural gas	Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)	Reduced, but captured
Gray Hydrogen	Natural gas	Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) without CCS	High

Shifting Paradigm: Historically, scientists believed that large-scale hydrogen production required lab-based processes. Hydrogen was categorized into different types based on their origin, such as gray, brown, blue, and green.
Untapped Potential: White hydrogen, as a naturally occurring and abundant resource, offers a significant source of clean-burning energy.
Natural and Cost-Effective: Unlike energy-intensive production methods, white hydrogen is naturally occurring and more cost-effective. Estimated costs for white hydrogen production are approximately $1 per kilogram, while green hydrogen costs around $6 per kilogram.

SMR is the most widely used method for industrial hydrogen production, accounting for the majority of global hydrogen production.

Feedstock: It uses methane (CH4) from natural gas as its primary feedstock, making it a cost-effective and readily available source of hydrogen.
Reaction: SMR involves the reaction of methane with high-temperature steam (H2O) in the presence of a catalyst. The primary chemical reactions produce hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
Endothermic Process: The reactions in SMR are highly endothermic, meaning they absorb a significant amount of heat energy, typically supplied through external heating.
By-products: In addition to hydrogen and carbon monoxide, SMR also produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and unreacted methane.