- The white gold rush and the pursuit of natural hydrogen
The buzz around natural hydrogen – dubbed white or gold hydrogen – is gaining global momentum as a potential gamechanger in the hunt for cost-effective, low-carbon energy sources. Rystad Energy research shows that at the end of last year, 40 companies were searching for natural hydrogen deposits, up from just 10 in 2020. Currently, exploratory efforts are underway in Australia, the US, Spain, France, Albania, Colombia, South Korea and Canada.
One of the most promising elements of white hydrogen is its cost advantage over other forms of hydrogen due to its natural occurrence. Grey hydrogen, produced from fossil fuels, costs less than $2 per kilogram (kg) of hydrogen on average, while green hydrogen, produced using renewable electricity, is currently more than three times pricier. The cost of renewable hydrogen is expected to come down as electrolyzer pricing falls in the coming years, and yet, white hydrogen would still be cheaper.
At present, Canada-based producer Hydroma extracts white hydrogen at an estimated cost of $0.5 per kg. Depending on the deposit’s depth and purity, projects in Spain and Australia aim for a cost of about $1 per kg, solidifying white hydrogen’s price competitiveness.
In addition to the cost advantage, white hydrogen can also have a low carbon intensity. At a hydrogen content of 85% and minimal methane contamination, the carbon intensity is around 0.4 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per kg hydrogen gas (H2) – including embodied emissions and hydrogen emissions. At 75% hydrogen and 22% methane, the intensity rises to 1.5 kg CO2e per kg H2.
Although still in its infancy with lots of uncertainty, white hydrogen has the potential to be a gamechanger for the clean hydrogen sector as an affordable, clean natural resource, thereby shifting the role of hydrogen from an energy carrier to part of the primary energy supply. However, the actual size of the reserves is still unclear, and the transportation and distribution challenges of hydrogen remain.
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