Underground Hydrogen: Potential Clean Energy Sources Hidden Beneath the Mountain Range

Mountain ranges may serve as a significant source of clean energy in the form of unexplored hydrogen. Previous investigations hinted at the presence of “geological” hydrogen underground, but researchers have now pointed to mountains as potential reservoirs.

“Some minerals can react with water to produce hydrogen, serving as a source of sustainable green energy,” explains Frank Zwarn from the Helmholtz Geoscience Centre in Germany.

While a plethora of minerals exists on Earth, most are located at great depths in the mantle. However, during the formation and elevation of mountain ranges, certain mantle materials can be brought nearer to the surface, where they might interact with water through a process called meandering.

To understand the potential for hydrogen generation, Zwaan and his team modeled the uplift process and assessed the mantle material reaching areas with optimal temperatures and adequate circulating water for this reaction to occur. Their findings support the notion that large quantities of hydrogen could form below these mountains.

Serpentine minerals also exist in the ridges of the Central Sea, which some speculate may have played a role in the origin of life. However, Zwaan notes that the hydrogen created there is unlikely to remain trapped due to temperatures below 122°C (252°F), as bacteria can consume the trapped hydrogen. In contrast, it can be drilled from deeper areas of higher temperature below the mountains.

“I wouldn’t want to inhabit that area, but it’s ideal for preserving hydrogen,” Zwaan stated at the European Geoscience Union conference in Vienna last week. “There may be an additional opportunity to drill into what is known as a hydrogen kitchen, the zone where hydrogen is generated.”

The model’s outcomes are corroborated by preliminary findings from studies on various mountain ranges. For instance, Gianreto Manatschal from the University of Strasbourg in France confirmed evidence of hydrogen production beneath the Grison region of the Swiss Alps. However, he emphasized that there remains much to learn. “Our research is merely the beginning,” he remarked.

Notably, some hydrogen has been reported to be seeping from beneath the Northern Pyrenees, according to Alexandra Robert at the University of Toulouse, France. This research is still in its formative stages.