Companies Hunt Underground Hydrogen in 30 Countries

Imagine a clean fuel hiding beneath our feet that produces only water vapor when burned and could meet the world's energy needs for two centuries.

That's the promise driving energy prospectors in almost 30 countries to hunt for geological hydrogen, a naturally occurring gas trapped in underground deposits. When burned for electricity, hydrogen releases zero carbon dioxide.

The potential has attracted serious attention. Since 2023, venture capitalists have invested nearly $500 million in exploration companies racing to find deposits from northern Canada to eastern Africa to South Australia.

A 2024 analysis suggests Earth's subsurface likely contains tens of trillions of tonnes of hydrogen gas. If even a small fraction can be recovered profitably, it could provide affordable clean energy that matches or beats fossil fuel prices.

The discovery that changed everything happened in Mali in 2018. Researchers found a substantial hydrogen deposit, proving these underground reserves actually exist.

Scientists have known for years that hydrogen forms naturally when iron-rich rocks like olivine react with water deep underground. Radioactive decay of uranium and thorium also splits water molecules to create hydrogen.

The problem? Everyone assumed the tiny hydrogen molecules were too small to get trapped beneath impermeable rock layers. Geologists figured any hydrogen produced underground would either get consumed by microbes, destroyed by chemical reactions, or leak into the atmosphere.

But evidence kept mounting. Deep mines around the world have been pumping out hydrogen for years to prevent explosions. In 2024, researchers recorded at least 200 tonnes of hydrogen releasing annually from a single chromite mine in Albania.

Now companies like UK-based H2Au are drilling test wells. Results could emerge within months, providing crucial answers about whether deposits are large enough to match the excitement.

The Bright Side

This discovery could revive the long-promised hydrogen economy without the expensive step of splitting water using renewable energy. If geological hydrogen proves abundant and cheap to extract, it buys the world time to develop other climate-friendly energy sources while phasing out fossil fuels.

The race is on, and the next few months of drilling results will reveal whether this underground treasure is real or just a pipe dream.