“Hidden Source of Clean Energy Could Power Earth For 170,000 Years”
“A natural gas could be a key component of climate mitigation, scientists say.
Scientists have a way to go, but believe they are on the right track.
According to research recently published in the Nature Reviews Earth & Environment in May of 2025, if tapped into, hidden sources of hydrogen could be the answer to our energy crisis. Trapped amid the Earth's crust for more than a hundred thousand years, this resource could power our energy needs for the next 170,000 years if the researchers calculations are viable.
“The concept of using hydrogen as renewable energy isn't new, but so far only 0.1% of the hydrogen power is considered "green," or produced in a "climate-neutral" way, according to the World Economic Forum. Hydrogen today is produced using thermal processes of steam and hydrocarbon, the byproduct of which contributes to 2.4% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the researchers said in a University of Oxford press release.
“There are likely "hydrogen systems" buried beneath continents all over the world, including in at least 30 U.S. states, according to the paper. The hydrogen gas has been building within the Earth's crust for the past billion years", the researchers said.
“The researchers developed an "exploration recipe" to assess where the hydrogen reservoirs could be as well as where it would make the most economic sense to feasibly extract them.” This recipe has several different components. “The "geological ingredients" required for potential extraction sites are ample supplies of the gas itself, reservoir rocks and a geologic formation that prevents the hydrogen from escaping into the atmosphere", the researchers said.
“The exploration recipe to find accumulated hydrogen is "likened to cooking a soufflé," said Chris Ballentine, chair of geochemistry at Oxford University and lead author of the paper, in a statement.” "Get any one of the ingredients, amounts, timing, or temperature wrong and you will be disappointed," Ballentine said.” “The researchers believe that "one successful exploration recipe" that can be repeated will unlock a commercially competitive, sustainable hydrogen source that could significantly contribute to energy transition", Ballentine said.
"We have the right experience to combine these ingredients and find that recipe," he said.” “A reliable supply of hydrogen is vital for the function of a modern world, the researchers said. Fertilizer used for agriculture is produced by hydrogen, and the gas also serves as a "key energy component" to a carbon-neutral future", the researchers said.
“Global demand for hydrogen reached 97 million tons in 2023, but by 2050 demand is expected to increase to 540 tons, the researchers said. Production followed by the burial of CO2 waste or from renewable energy sources -- such as wind or solar -- could also be future sources of hydrogen", the researchers said.
Sources:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/hidden-source-clean-energy-power-earth-170000-years/story?id=121835166
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-025-00670-1.epdf?sharing_token=G2q0whEnBkh4FN_sHM9329RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MsJHYFKleb_YDCzKKzGM9NG1Kr0TVhoCDxZQqQl5WJSUWF_xCbrCuxqMZ63f0kjltbU1CZgLOAM0kmvqxrTSm6MzKVxT-STaojFfhmiA5kNuI5b-BE51B7G6C4wZh8rPo2z3Bm8PtjBmQoNdwFX_19YmqT3MoKSCcSVw3Ji8sZ9yRK_gGnljcDED1eY2rSYtk%3D&tracking_referrer=abcnews.go.com
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/07/clean-energy-green-hydrogen/
https://www.iea.org/energy-system/low-emission-fuels/hydrogen
Photo by Scott Greer on Unsplash
