Natural hydrogen research

Natural hydrogen is generated through several subsurface processes, including reactions between water and iron rich rocks, radiolysis caused by natural radioactive decay, and other water/rock interactions. Among these mechanisms, the hydration of ultramafic rocks, a process known as ‘serpentinisation’, is considered one of the most effective. In this reaction, hydrogen is released through a redox process involving iron and water.

Once formed, hydrogen moves away from its source. Its extremely small and light molecular structure makes it highly mobile, allowing it to travel through porous rocks and fractures and faults where permeability allows. Depending on the geology, hydrogen may escape to the surface as a seep or become trapped underground.

For hydrogen to accumulate, it must encounter porous and permeable reservoir rocks capable of storing the gas, overlain by impermeable seals that prevent further upward movement. Structural or stratigraphical traps are also required to accommodate hydrogen in place long enough for significant accumulations to form.

The Review of the UK’s geological potential for the generation and accumulation of natural hydrogen report provides a high-level overview of the geological settings across the UK that may have been conducive to the generation, migration and trapping of naturally occurring hydrogen. The study highlights that, while several geological environments in the UK could theoretically host natural hydrogen, no confirmed accumulations have yet been identified, emphasising the need for systematic exploration, improved data and further research to assess this potential low carbon energy resource.

The Royal Society’s Natural hydrogen: future energy and resources report outlines how naturally occurring hydrogen could become a viable low-carbon energy source for the UK and globally. It provides an overview of processes related to the generation, migration and accumulation of hydrogen in the subsurface. The report also addresses the steps required to create a commercially viable natural hydrogen product, encompassing current production approaches, extraction methods, supporting resource needs, cost considerations, and environmental and waste management issues. Finally, it summarises the factors needed to establish a functioning market and commercial framework, including comparisons with other hydrogen production types, potential market opportunities, financing, regulatory and permitting requirements, and the importance of securing a social licence to operate.

The Lizard serpentinites project is a BGS initiative focused on extracting new scientific value from legacy rock samples. It uses material collected during 1980s drilling campaigns on the Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, undertaken as part of the Mineral Reconnaissance Programme, and applies a combination of manual and automated analytical workflows to assess the degree of serpentinisation in selected ultramafic samples. This can provide an indication of the remaining potential for hydrogen generation.

In partnership with the Philippines Nuclear Research Institute, this project focuses on using synchrotron-based techniques to determine the speciation of iron and chromium in ultramafic rocks associated with significant hydrogen emissions from seeps and springs within the Zambales ophiolite. This data will shed light on the geochemical relationship between notable hydrogen shows and chromitite bodies, and support more focused exploration targeting.