Scientists Find Natural Hydrogen Worth Millions in Germany

Deep in a German forest, a geologist just found treasure that doesn't glitter but could change how the world powers itself.

Jürgen Grötsch hammered a meter-deep hole into the Bavarian ground and discovered hydrogen gas flowing naturally from the Earth. His sensor showed levels 1,000 times higher than normal air, proof that a massive reservoir sits below.

This isn't the hydrogen you've heard about for years. Today's hydrogen must be manufactured using processes that rely heavily on fossil fuels, with less than 1% made from renewable energy through costly methods.

White hydrogen forms naturally deep in the Earth's crust through a process called serpentinization. When iron-rich rock meets water at 200 to 350 degrees Celsius, the iron pulls oxygen from the water and leaves behind pure hydrogen.

Scientists from the US Geological Survey estimate 5.6 trillion tons of this natural hydrogen sits underground worldwide. Just 2% of that amount could cover global hydrogen demand for 200 years.

The gas rises through cracks in the Earth's mantle and collects in porous rock reservoirs like sandstone, trapped beneath harder rock layers. Dozens of companies worldwide are now racing to find these underground pockets.

Why This Inspires

Only one place on Earth currently extracts white hydrogen for use. The village of Bourakebougou in Mali taps a natural well that powers 4,000 homes with electricity, and the pressure hasn't dropped in 14 years of operation.

Grötsch, a researcher at Germany's University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, plans to extract 1,000 tons annually from a Bavarian reservoir 1,500 meters below ground by 2030. He'll sell it for $1 per kilo, matching today's fossil fuel-based hydrogen prices, to power local companies and heat networks.

The same drilling sites will produce hot geothermal water for heating homes, creating a backup revenue source if hydrogen extraction faces challenges. "Technically it's a renewable source because the processes that produce natural hydrogen are constantly ongoing," says Kate Adie, an analyst with Wood Mackenzie energy research.

The International Energy Agency predicts global hydrogen demand could triple by 2050 as industries seek cleaner alternatives to power ships and heavy manufacturing like steel production. Unlike fossil fuels, hydrogen burns without creating planet-heating emissions.

After decades working for Shell, Grötsch now spends his days "sniffing" for hydrogen in German forests with his students, searching for the clean energy source that's been flowing beneath our feet all along.

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