Excitement grows about ‘natural hydrogen’ as huge reserves found in France

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While carrying out work to check the risk of firedamp pockets in the abandoned mines of the Lorraine region in May, La Française d’Énergie (FDE) discovered a large deposit of natural hydrogen, igniting hopes that it could be a game changer in Europe’s energy transition.

For years, researchers and businesses in the private sector have been looking for rare natural hydrogen, otherwise known as native or white hydrogen, due to its potential as a clean and renewable energy source.

“If confirmed, this would be the largest potential natural hydrogen discovered to date in Europe,” Philippe de Donato, co-director of research at the GeoRessouces laboratory at the University of Lorraine, told France 3 Grand-Est at the end of May.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/excitement-grows-about-natural-hydrogen-as-huge-reserves-found-in-france/

[billd766]

How is it renewable if it is extracted?

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31 minutes ago, billd766 said:

How is it renewable if it is extracted?

It's created by a catalytic process that naturally occurs between water and iron.

https://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/content/science/highlight/2013-06-28/water-rock-reactions-produce-hydrogen-gas-temperatures-within-limits

Edited July 4, 2023 by placeholder

[billd766]

22 minutes ago, placeholder said:

It's created by a catalytic process that naturally occurs between water and iron.

https://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/content/science/highlight/2013-06-28/water-rock-reactions-produce-hydrogen-gas-temperatures-within-limits

Thank you.

 

My thought is that the more "natural" hydrogen you remove, the longer it takes to replace it to the same amount.

 

It seems as though there is a finite amount available for use and when it is used up it will take a fair amount of time to replace it.

 

I just found an interesting link, but it is a very very long read about natural hydrogen exploration.

 

https://www.science.org/content/article/hidden-hydrogen-earth-may-hold-vast-stores-renewable-carbon-free-fuel