UK and Philippines scientists investigate natural hydrogen generation processes at atomic scale

Natural hydrogen gas is generated through a range of geochemical and biochemical reactions within rock formations. It has recently gained significant attention as a potential clean energy source following discoveries of natural hydrogen accumulations and seeps in multiple parts of the world. Whilst hydrogen already has many real-world applications, including metal treatment, fertiliser production and chemical manufacturing, interest is increasingly being driven by the need for cleaner fuels as it does not produce carbon emissions when it is burned.

There is still much that scientists need to understand about how natural hydrogen systems evolve over time, including the relationships between subsurface rocks and the minerals, fluids and microbes that determine the potential for generation, transport and accumulation at scales required for commercial applications.

To improve our understanding of this natural resource, BGS scientists have recently undertaken research on rock samples from a hydrogen-generating system using the Diamond Light Source facility in Harwell, UK. The Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron science facility and is capable of generating very intense light that is 10 billion times brighter than the Sun. Such bright light, mainly in the form of X-rays, enabled BGS scientists and collaborators from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences to study hydrogen-generating processes down to the atomic scale.

The samples were collected from several areas within an ophiolite-hosted natural hydrogen system in Zambales, Philippines, as part of a project undertaken by PNRI scientists (Aquino et al., 2025). Surface-hydrogen flux measurements in bubbling springs and seeps from this area represent some of the highest natural fluxes reported in the world, pointing to a potentially significant hydrogen resource.

Using the unique capabilities at the Diamond Light Source has been a great opportunity to investigate the behaviour of key elements in hydrogen seep systems at an unprecedented level of detail. This is an important step towards understanding the drivers of natural hydrogen generation in ophiolitic environments, not only in the Philippines but worldwide, helping to identify where similar resources may occur and how they could be evaluated.

Dr Ruth Delina-Agillon, BGS experimental geochemist and principal investigator of the research conducted at the Diamond Light Source.

We anticipate that our new, atomic-scale data will provide a better understanding of the geochemical controls driving the hydrogen-generation process. The datasets are currently being analysed in detail ahead of publication. These findings will be relevant to other, geologically similar systems worldwide, supporting coordinated international efforts to identify and prioritise sites for data-driven exploration.

Acknowledgment

The Diamond Light Source is acknowledged for access to the I20 beamline under proposal 42859 and Dr Shusaku Hayama is thanked for assistance during the experiment.

The Diamond Light Source facility is funded by UK Research and Innovation through the Science and Technology Facilities Council and by the Wellcome Trust.

More information

Find out more about our natural hydrogen research on the BGS website.