At the moment, all commercial hydrogen has to be manufactured, either in a polluting way, by using fossil fuels, or in an expensive way, by using renewable electricity. Natural hydrogen, if it forms sizable reserves, might be there for the taking, giving the experienced drillers in the oil and gas industry a new, environmentally friendly mission. “I believe that it has the potential to replace all fossil fuels,” Zgonnik says. “That’s a very large statement, I know.”
Critically, natural hydrogen may be not only clean, but also renewable.
HIDDEN HYDROGEN Does Earth hold vast stores of a renewable, carbon-free fuel?
Game changer? Hydrogen is the most energy dense combustible fuel. If it is commercial it might be a get out of jail free card for the carbon energy crisis short term. Even more so, if it can be created as they suggest. That is a very big IF at this stage.
These researchers say water-rock reactions deep within the Earth continuously generate hydrogen, which percolates up through the crust and sometimes accumulates in underground traps. There might be enough natural hydrogen to meet burgeoning global demand for thousands of years.
This was a laugh. It sounds like the usual hype. They said that about oil, etc.
Fossil fuels were a free lunch to give time to find better fuels. That was wasted and hydrogen would likely be as well so we end up where we started down the road. It is impossible to overestimate stupidity.
This story made me think of Blade Runner where they seem to get energy directly underneath them. From the look of those flares, they are wasting it there, too. LOL