White Hydrogen: Geological Curiosity or Energy Game-Changer?

Maia Khitarishvili, founder and CEO of H2Earth Dynamics, explores the world of white hydrogen – and how it fits in with the global energy transition Hydrogen has long been a multi-billion-dollar market as an industrial gas, even before the recent push to use it in the clean energy transition. Today, most hydrogen is made from fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas), which is carbon-intensive, but a new source of white hydrogen – naturally occurring hydrogen gas – is sparking interest as a potential game-changer. What is White Hydrogen? White hydrogen – also known as natural hydrogen – refers to hydrogen gas that is produced by natural geological processes and accumulates underground, without any human-driven manufacturing. White hydrogen forms through specific geological processes that require a precise combination of rock types, fluid presence, temperature conditions, and structural settings within the Earth’s crust. One primary mechanism is serpentinization, a chemical reaction where water interacts with ultramafic or mafic rocks rich in ferrous iron (Fe²+), such as olivine and pyroxene, typically found in ancient oceanic crust or continental cratons. When water...