Also known as “natural hydrogen” or “native hydrogen”, white hydrogen is a natural resource that does not result from the transformation of gas or electrolysis, i.e. a human process. This gives white hydrogen two major advantages over other types of hydrogen: unlike some manufacturing methods, such as steam reforming, its production involves no carbon dioxide emissions, as it is generated naturally by the Earth. According to many experts, natural sources of white hydrogen are large enough to meet the entire planet’s hydrogen needs. This would greatly facilitate the ecological transition.

The craze for natural, or white, hydrogen has now moved out of specialized academic and industrial spheres and reached the general public. Long controversial, the idea that hydrogen exists naturally in the ground and can be harnessed is now undeniable. It was Canadian company Hydroma, in its pioneering capacity, that deciphered this possibility in 2012, when it installed its first wells in Mali.

Since then, enthusiasm has taken on a global dimension. In France, Emmanuel Macron himself announced last December, on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of France 2030, “massive funding to explore the potential of white hydrogen”, before adding “we can’t let this resource lie dormant”, and asserting that “France can become one of the pioneering countries in this energy of the future”. In France, various sources of white hydrogen have been detected in areas such as the Drôme, Côte-d’Or, Lorraine, Cotentin and the Pyrenees. Although a great deal of exploration work still needs to be carried out, the deposits are said to be gigantic.

Find out more at https://www.forbes.fr/environnement/lhydrogene-blanc-le-potentiel-dune-revolution-energetique-pour-la-france/