Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Vast reserves of geologic hydrogen have been discovered beneath Earth's surface, promising a potential clean energy source.
Geologic hydrogen forms during natural geochemical processes, with reserves identified in Mali, Albania, and beyond.
A study in Science Advances suggests Earth may hold 5.6 million metric tonnes of hydrogen.
Extracting just 2% of these reserves could meet the world’s energy demand for 35 minutes, researchers estimate.
Compared to traditional methods, extracting geologic hydrogen is a lower-carbon process, making it an attractive alternative.
So far, Mali remains the only place where geologic hydrogen is being extracted for practical use.
Scaling up hydrogen extraction would require massive infrastructure and global cooperation, warns UCL scientist Bill McGuire.
Critics argue that geologic hydrogen is another finite resource and advocate for investing in solar and wind power instead.
Despite concerns, hydrogen extraction could complement renewable energy in achieving global net-zero goals.