A new report from the US Geological Survey makes a surprising discovery: The world may have enough natural reserves of hydrogen to meet global needs for hundreds of years.
Geologist Jeffrey Ellis shared this discovery during the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference.
According to Ellis, there are up to 5.5 million tons of hydrogen stored in underground deposits around the world. This amount will be able to meet civilization's energy needs for a long time, El Confidencial newspaper reveals.
Hydrogen has been recognized as a promising alternative to address the energy crisis and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While its artificial production can generate harmful emissions, the discovery of natural reserves could change this scenario.
It was recently revealed that the Bulkezi chromite mine in Albania has the capacity to produce more than 200 tons of hydrogen per year.
Jeffrey Ellis emphasizes that although these reserves are exceptional, accessing them can be a challenge. He explains that the majority of hydrogen may not be accessible, but a small percentage of it will still be able to supply humanity.
The geologist warns that during the extraction process, hydrogen can be mixed with other gases, such as methane, the release of which into the atmosphere could be harmful. However, he believes that geohydrogen could be a greener alternative to synthetically produced hydrogen.
This discovery promises to start a “hydrogen gold rush,” as Ellis predicted in his presentation.
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