White hydrogen: The hidden gas that could transform energy

"This is significant. That's 1,000 times more than in the air around us. For him, it indicates that he's found a hydrogen jackpot in this southern German forest. The dilemma with today's hydrogen For years now, company CEOs and politicians such as the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Australia's Anthony Albanese have been hailing hydrogen as a way to decarbonize economies."

"The gas can be burned to create the intense heat needed to power ships or heavy industries like steel. And unlike oil, gas or coal, it doesn't create planet-heating emissions. The International Energy Agency says global demand could triple by 2050. But there's a catch. Hydrogen needs to be manufactured. And the process of making it relies heavily on fossil fuels."

"Less than 1% is currently made from renewable energies, in a costly process called electrolysis. A sol"

Geologist Jurgen Grotsch, formerly with Shell and now at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, is searching for naturally occurring white hydrogen in Bavarian forests. His team uses gas sensors to detect hydrogen concentrations in the ground, recently finding levels 1,000 times higher than atmospheric air. While hydrogen is promoted globally as a clean energy solution for decarbonization and heavy industry, current production methods depend heavily on fossil fuels. Less than 1% of hydrogen is currently produced through renewable electrolysis, making the discovery of natural hydrogen deposits potentially transformative for clean energy generation worldwide.

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