“White energy”– otherwise known as geologic hydrogen is the newest buzz word making its rounds in the world of alternative energy. In the pursuit of finding renewable energy sources, these naturally occurring pockets of pure hydrogen in the Earth’s crust. This discovery offers a cost-effective alternative to fossil-fuel energy.
The allure of white energy lends itself to its promising cost effectiveness in the alternative energy landscape
A major challenge faced by industry when looking to moving away from fossil-fuel sources is finding an alternative which is both cost-effective and can be replicated on a large scale to meet global energy demands. Geologic hydrogen is not only estimated to be found in excess, but can be produced at a competitive price.
Not only have a significant number of sources of geological hydrogen been found, but researchers around the world are also beginning to look at ways to stimulate production of the natural occurring gas in order to harvest it in greater abundance than purely from its natural reserves.
Carbon-free energy has received much traction in the past decade has the world beings to move away from fossil fuels. The interest in carbon energy is related to its clean energy output potential. By using pure hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy, with water as the only emission.
Currently, commercial hydrogen is produced at a competitive rate of $2 per kilogram, but is mostly used in the agriculture industry. Further, it still requires the use of fossil fuels to manufacture it which renders the clean energy output goal null.
Green hydrogen on the other hand is produced using renewable energy sources. However, it is significantly more expensive to produce weighing in at $7 per kilogram. If we can commercialize the naturally occurring process of hydrogen reaction however, the cost of production is estimated to be approximately a dollar.
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Currently, research teams across the United States are being awarded research grants by the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate alternative energy sources. One such program is the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), the organization leading the geologic hydrogen grant program.
The main goal of turning geologic hydrogen into a reality is to investigate how to accelerate the production of it. Because pure hydrogen is produced through a reaction of water and and rock, its difficult to determine how to speed it up. Further, in manufacturing this reaction, there exists challenges in actually extracting it.
The extent of the natural reserves also remain unclear, as well as uncertainty with costs surrounding transporting and distributing it. Additionally, the project would need to become a global one to make a significant impact on the planet which comes with its own challenges.
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Currently, teams in the USA are developing a formula to induce the chemical reaction which produces the hydrogen reaction formation. The second phase of the project would be to design a lab-scale reactor to optimize hydrogen production conditions and to inform the design of a real-world reactor.
MIT Assistant Professor Iwnetim Abate and his research group are one such group undergoing this exact research. The team aim to publish their findings within the next year. If a successful lab-scale production of hydrogen can be produced, real-world industry production of hydrogen could follow soon after.
Despite challenges, the potential of white energy means that if we can successfully control its reaction, we can produce hydrogen on demand instead of only relying on natural reserves. If we can do this, geologic hydrogen becomes a strong contender to replace fossil fuels in an economically feasible way.
