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
1 May 2024
High costs and uncertainty over offtake agreements are delaying project investment decisions, according to Aurora Energy Research
1 May 2024
Low clearing prices in first European Hydrogen Bank auction reflect fierce competition for green hydrogen subsidies and buyers’ willingness to pay premium
1 May 2024
Japanese company launches test module at Takasago Hydrogen Park with aim to deploy megawatt-scale demonstration project of electrolyser technology
24 April 2024
Demand for energy purposes to outpace feedstock applications by the 2040s as government policies drive consumption, says DNV