Mankind has been exploring various ways to lower its carbon footprint, and hydrogen has been the more popular choice of late. Typically, we have turned to manmade hydrogen produced through industrial processes, but now, experts have discovered the biggest hydrogen reservoir on Earth. Six trillion tons of hydrogen are below our feet, and these specific US states could help us unlock the potential of this hydrogen reservoir. One state in particular will be at the forefront of revolutionizing hydrogen.
This is how the Earth creates its hydrogen reservoir
The Earth’s hydrogen is formed through natural reactions, such as serpentinization. During serpentinization, the iron and magnesium in rocks react with water at extremely high temperatures and pressures. Under ideal conditions, electrons move from iron to water to produce molecular hydrogen, iron(III) oxides, and silica compounds.
Radioactive degradation of uranium, thorium, or other elements also splits water and forms hydrogen, though the process is much slower than serpentinization. The resulting hydrogen builds up in porous rock such as sandstone that is found underneath waterproof layers of rock such as shale or salt.
US Geological Survey (USGS) researchers, led by Sarah E. Gelman and Geoffrey S. Ellis, determined that approximately 5.6 trillion metric tons of hydrogen are confined in geological formations worldwide and that another 15 million–31 million metric tons surface every year. According to the researchers, harvesting a small percentage of this hydrogen could highly influence climate change.
The biggest hydrogen reservoir on Earth is under these US states
Per the USGS research team’s data, the states with high hydrogen potential stretch from the Appalachian Mountains to the Rockies, along with a strip along the West Coast. The states more likely to contain exploitable hydrogen resources include, but are not limited to:
- Michigan
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Missouri
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Nebraska
- Kansas
- Oklahoma
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Colorado
- New Mexico
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
Texas also has high hydrogen potential and has already announced itself as a champion of hydrogen power. MAX Power Mining Corp. and Larin Engineering HHC are conducting research intending to locate promising hydrogen reserves in Texas. The research constitutes a scalable model of the US for determining priority areas for exploration and development. Per the CEO of Max Power, Rav Mlait, Texas has a rich history of energy innovation and boasts low carbon intensity, measured at around 0.4 kg CO2 for every kg of hydrogen.
Not everyone is pro-hydrogen in Texas
Texas is a hot spot for clean hydrogen, more commonly known as white hydrogen, and is becoming a hub for white hydrogen investments. The state has the necessary workforce with skills, proximity to energy-intensive industries, and the availability of a 1,600-mile-long hydrogen pipeline network. HIF Global invested $6 billion in a renewable hydrogen facility in Matagorda County. The facility will annually produce approximately 300,000 metric tons of hydrogen in the form of eMethanol, which is a more eco-friendly fuel for shipping.
The going could get tough, as strict guidelines for tax credits and renewable energy certification have delayed some projects, like the proposed Plug Power facility in the Texas Panhandle. Many communities also worry about the social and environmental effects of hydrogen facilities. Many Gulf Coast communities already struggle with industrial pollution and worry about the possibility of hydrogen production leading to more hazards, such as gas leakages and new industry development.
The hydrogen hub might generate economic benefits such as an additional 45,000 jobs, but it might not be long-lasting in terms of temporary construction roles. Whether the white hydrogen hub’s benefits will be long-term will depend on how the government goes about handling environmental justice issues. Hopefully, the pros will outweigh the cons, inspiring innovative minds to tap the biggest hydrogen reservoir on Earth.