Significant volumes of natural hydrogen could be sitting in the subsurface
Letter on hydrogen: Gold rush
Excitement over natural hydrogen is building, but its potential to contribute meaningfully to global supply is unclear
Significant volumes of natural hydrogen could be sitting in the subsurface waiting to be extracted at lower costs than even the most competitive electrolytic or natural gas-based projects currently under development. Or, in hydrogen sector parlance, gold could be better than green or blue. That is the claim of a growing number of companies exploring for natural (gold) hydrogen around the world with an eye on developing supply to feed the global decarbonisation project. Production at under $1/kg has been mooted, though that should be seen in the context of the cost of exploration and drilling, which makes direct comparisons with green hydrogen costs difficult. At least six projects are at th
Also in this section
6 January 2026
Shifts in government policy and rising power demand will shape the clean hydrogen sector as it attempts to gain momentum following a sluggish performance in 2025
23 December 2025
Government backing and inflow of private capital point to breakthrough year for rising star of the country’s clean energy sector
19 December 2025
The hydrogen industry faces an important choice: coordinated co-evolution or patched-together piecemeal development. The way forward is integrated co-evolution, and freight corridors are a good example
10 December 2025
Project developer Meld Energy ready to accelerate 100MW project in Humber region after securing investment from energy transition arm of private equity firm Schroders Capital
