🌅 White Hydrogen Could Help Power the World

SOURCE

Lollar & Warr (2026)

WHAT TO KNOW

• For the first time ever, scientists have directly measured naturally occurring hydrogen—called “white hydrogen”—escaping from ancient underground rocks. Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada took measurements from dozens of boreholes at an active mine site in northeastern Ontario, finding each borehole released an average of 0.009 U.S. tons of hydrogen each year. The team estimates the site could produce more than 150 million tons of hydrogen each year from its 15,000 boreholes, enough to produce 4.7 million kilowatts of electricity and power 400 Canadian homes.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It’s commonly used in fertilizer manufacturing, global food production, and steelmaking, powering a $135 billion global hydrogen economy. Importantly, when burned, hydrogen doesn’t produce any greenhouse gases, so scientists consider it a true source of “clean energy.” However, at present, most industrial hydrogen is produced using fossil fuels, requiring large amounts of energy and releasing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Even so-called “green hydrogen,” which is produced from renewables, relies on processes that are still highly expensive and energy intensive.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• Scientists say white hydrogen could be key to the global energy transition. The gas is produced naturally through chemical reactions in the Earth’s crust, offering cheaper, cleaner hydrogen that could also serve as a local energy source for communities. While more work is needed, previous research suggests trillions of tons of hydrogen could be hiding underground, with the authors of the present study arguing some 70% of the Earth’s crust has the potential to produce the gas.