The global race for clean hydrogen is gaining momentum. There is an opinion that the 20s could bring humanity to a new frontier of the energy transition. By early 2023, more than 30 countries had developed or begun preparing national hydrogen strategies.
Clean hydrogen can fundamentally change the usual geopolitics of energy.
And, in a sense, hegemony will “shift” into the hands of the state that will become the owner of large volumes of the “holy source” of pure hydrogen deposits.
The rivalry is gaining momentum, especially in hopes of gaining independence from Russian gas and oil.
And now, the French are already quite seriously laying claim to the role of the new hegemon.
What is the power of the “holy spring”
Hydrogen is the smallest molecule on planet Earth, perhaps in the Universe too. If the periodic table comes to mind, then this is the very first element in it.
And as it turns out, hydrogen has enormous potential as a clean fuel for the global energy transition. This gas can be burned in engines, can be used in automobile fuel cells. It can also be utilised to generate electricity and heat.
Hydrogen is already used as a raw material for industry and one of the constituent elements of other chemical products: ammonia is one of the most important components of fertilizers and methanol, which is used in the production of plastics.
Hydrogen and its derivatives can be stored in tanks and salt caverns indefinitely, which means they could become one of the most important solutions to the problem of long-term energy storage.
It has the potential to replace fossil fuels without carbon emissions. Here you can safely put it on the same level as electricity as they are both carbon neutral energy carriers.
The environmental friendliness and efficiency of hydrogen as an energy source are many times higher than alternative ones, because when it is processed, harmless water is released.
Why then hydrogen is still not used to its fullest?
The “trick” of a hydrogen energy source is that it is constantly being formed in the depths, and therefore is fundamentally inexhaustible.
Doug Weeks, director of the Office of the US Department of Energy, assures:
“There may be “astronomical” reserves of geological hydrogen in the world, given how common the conditions required for its formation are – iron-rich reservoirs near tectonic faults scattered across the planet.”
150 trillion metric tons can be recovered, energy experts say, while the entire US would need 1 billion tons for a year.
Yeah, just reach out and take what’s under your feet!
But this is only in words as in speculative projects everything is fine and neat.
Sometimes, the synthesis of hydrogen requires so many traditional energy sources that the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere exceeds the amount of useful product.
In fact, the origin of the gas and the method of its processing are decisive. Let’s take another small digression and we’ll get to the bottom of it.
Colorful wealth
It turned out that for convenience, the element was “given” different colors, depending on the variety:
“Grey” hydrogen (aka “black” or “brown”)
It is considered the most “dirty” as it is obtained from oil and coal by heating. At the same time, by-products are released into the atmosphere: carbon dioxide, methane, ethylene.
You understand what this means in the context of the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Well, the environment, of course, gets it to the fullest.
“Blue” hydrogen
More harmless, but to get it you need to spend a lot of energy. And there are fewer harmful emissions, provided that the waste is buried or processed further.
“Green” hydrogen
Recognized as the most environmentally friendly. Electrolysis, which produces this hydrogen fuel, does not pollute the environment. The basis is carbon-free production using renewable sources: sun and wind.
And here, finally, is what all this “hydrogen fever” was started around the world for.
“White” hydrogen
This is a “nugget”, a geological fossil. It does not need to be produced, because it spontaneously originates in the bowels of the planet.
As it is understood, whoever is the first to establish industrial production of geological hydrogen is the winner.
And then France, all dressed in white, announced that a deposit with staggering volumes of “white” hydrogen had been discovered.
The French are ahead of the rest
On November 6, 2023, the French published sensational news:
Jacques Pironon and Philippe De Donato discovered endless reserves of white hydrogen in the mountainous depths of the Lorraine basin. The research involved a special probe capable of “sniffing out” gas at great depths.
Hydrogen is usually found near the surface of wells. And here, even at a depth of 650 feet, the gas concentration was low. Digging deeper, the researchers gasped – the gas content increased significantly.
Of course, not everything is so swift and simple – no one will award a medal to the French yet. But they are eager to win. Recently, information appeared about the intention to drill a 2-mile deep well with a goal to study the volume of reserves in more detail.
The French government is already in anticipation – perhaps the problem of the country’s energy crisis is about to be solved. However, scientists are only at the beginning of their journey.
The deposit of an energy source is still not the energy itself. You definitely shouldn’t hope for a miracle for another 10 years.
Everyone is looking for it
Discovering a progressive deposit of a coveted energy source can become the work of a lifetime.
Nowadays, a countless number of startups have formed that have rushed in search of “white” hydrogen. And the situation is very much reminiscent of the “gold rush” of the mid-19th century.
The sensible part of scientists, however, is inclined to believe that 200 years is not a long time for such searches. There are also those who name more optimistic figures – a few decades and the whole world will “start” using hydrogen.
The governments of the countries concerned are trying to put the search on an orderly economic footing. For example, Coloma in Denver attracted $91 million in investments to search for “white” hydrogen.
But it’s explosive
On the one hand, hydrogen is highly flammable. On the other hand, due to the volatility of the gas, self-extinguishing occurs within a few minutes, while a gasoline car, in case of ignition, burns out completely.
There are already precedents for the use of hydrogen vehicles and allegedly there are only advantages.
No harmful emissions. No costly battery disposal and without hours of electrical recharging. But still doubts prevail.
Have you heard about rigid airships?
These were the popular hydrogen “flying ships” but one such zeppelin put an end to their use.
In 1937, the large passenger airship Hindenburg burst into flames while landing in the United States. Then 35 people were burned alive.
The cause of the disaster was never determined, but the fact remains that hydrogen mixed with atmospheric oxygen is extremely dangerous.
It turns out that no matter what the inventors indulge in, as long as it does not cause harm. Anything could be accepted except danger.
