The story so far
Hydrogen is seen as a clean fuel of the future that can help stop global warming.
If found and used sustainably, natural hydrogen can reduce carbon emissions.
Experts believe India may have abundant natural hydrogen reserves.
How is natural hydrogen extracted?
Most hydrogen today is made from natural gas, which pollutes the environment.
Green hydrogen is cleaner but very expensive and needs lots of solar or wind power.
Natural hydrogen is formed underground by processes like serpentinisation, radiolysis, and breakdown of organic matter.
What is the history of its extraction?
In 1987, workers in Mali accidentally found a hydrogen-rich gas while drilling for water.
In 2012, scientists confirmed it was 98% hydrogen, changing earlier beliefs about underground hydrogen.
Earlier, natural hydrogen was seen as rare, but now it’s found in tectonic zones, coal mines, and volcanic areas.
Scientists now think natural hydrogen may exist in large underground reserves around the world.
What about current reserves?
Exact global reserves are unknown but believed to be huge.
India has promising geological areas, such as Himalayas, Andaman, Dharwar craton, and Cuddapah basin.
Hydrogen seeps have been found in Australia, U.S., Spain, France, and Canada.
In France, recent finds total 92 million tonnes of hydrogen, worth $92 billion.
A US study says even 2% of global reserves can meet world needs for 200 years.
But it’s not clear how much can be extracted cheaply and easily.
How has industry reacted?
Many companies have started exploring for natural hydrogen since 2020.
Over 40 companies in countries like the U.S., Australia, and France are searching for reserves.
Some companies say they can extract it for just $1 per kg, cheaper than green hydrogen.
Big investors like Amazon and Bill Gates are funding these efforts.
Traditional energy giants like BP and Rio Tinto are also joining the search.
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