The deposit could generate around 4.7 million kilowatt-hours, which is enough to power 400 homes for an entire year.
An important underground hydrogen reserve discovered beneath a Canadian mine could represent a significant advance in the search for cleaner energy sourcesaccording to a new scientist published in the journal PNAS.
Researchers studying the Kidd Creek mine in Ontario say natural hydrogen gas has been leak constantly of deep underground rock formations for years, and new measurements suggest the reserve could provide enough energy to power hundreds of homes annually.
The study, led by geologists Barbara Sherwood Lollar of the University of Toronto and Oliver Warr of the University of Ottawa, is the first to comprehensively assess the scale and long-term viability of deposits of hydrogen under the mine.
Scientists have collected samples from 35 drill holes drilled up to 2.9 kilometers deep, measuring hydrogen concentration and emission rates over periods of up to 11 years in some areas. Your analysis estimates that the location could generate around 4.7 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year — enough to meet the annual energy needs of approximately 400 homes.
Researchers say the findings could help speed up efforts to develop “white hydrogen”a natural form of hydrogen considered a promising, low-emission energy source.
Unlike conventional hydrogen production, which generally relies on fossil fuels and energy-intensive industrial processes, natural hydrogen can be extracted directly from underground geological formations. When used as a fuel, hydrogen only produces water as a by-product, making it attractive for reducing carbon emissions in the transport, industrial and energy generation sectors, explains .
“The data from this study suggest that there are unexplored critical opportunities to access an economically viable domestic source of energy, produced from the rocks beneath our feet,” said Sherwood Lollar.
The researchers believe the discovery may have wider implications for the global energy transition. Similar geological conditions exist in mining regions around the world, raising the possibility that other untapped hydrogen reserves may also exist.
The Kidd Creek site is particularly attractive because the hydrogen occurs in the same rock formations that are already being mined for valuable minerals such as nickel, copper, cobalt and lithium. According to the researchers, this overlap could reduce infrastructure costsallowing hydrogen extraction to occur in parallel with existing mining operations.
“The joint location of mineral resources and hydrogen production mitigates the need for long routes transportation and major investments in infrastructure,” said Warr.
Until recently, naturally occurring hydrogen had attracted little attention outside of scientific studies of underground microbial ecosystems. However, growing demand for low-carbon energy has renewed interest in its commercial potential.
Scientists warn that more research is needed before large-scale extraction becomes economically viable.
