Happy Tuesday!
Did anyone
happen to read The Houston Chronicle’s Business Section on March 1, 2024,
their article titled, “Hydrogen source is gaining attention – Trillions of tons
with clean energy potential might be underground.”? In the article, it speaks about white hydrogen
or geologic hydrogen underground and the race to find it. A little over a decade ago geologists didn’t believe
there was a vast amount of white hydrogen underground, but after a find in Mali,
West Africa geologists did a 180 and now believe there may be trillions of tons
of it but the question is. Is it
accessible? Last week at the U. S.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee meeting the U.S. Department of Energy
and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discussed the worldwide search for
hydrogen deposits and how it may be our answer to climate goals, if we can
access and release, even a meniscal amount. White hydrogen or geologic hydrogen is naturally
occurring and is formed when iron-rich rock and water have a chemical reaction
with each other, and it is their byproduct which happens in subterranean of the
earth. The USGS has been green lighted to search for
possible deposits of white hydrogen. They have located two iron-rich rock deposits
with one in the Atlantic off the coast between New Jersey and Georgia, and the
other is in the center of the country going from Kansas to Minnesota. USGS finds will be looked into further as
well as they will continue the search for more locations.
Hydrogen has
been touted as our way of cleaning up heavy industry for example steel and
cement plants as well as the power sector and commercial transportation, if
they switch to systems which use it instead of fossil fuels. Currently the U.S. is investing in hydrogen facilities
which will either make blue hydrogen which use natural gas, or green hydrogen
which will split water both ways are neither cost effective and/or energy
efficient, even if they use renewable energy. White hydrogen holds the promise of being more cost effective and
energy efficient than the way we manufacture it now and it may have less
emissions!
Currently,
there are only a few companies in the U.S. searching for it, but major
companies like Amazon, Shell, and others are investing in them. Beam Earth
is one of the groups looking for white hydrogen, and they are in the process of
preparing to drill their first hydrogen well. Will white hydrogen hold the key to our
future and help us attain our climate objectives we strive for only time will
tell! If you would like to read more of The Houston Chronicle’s article,
please click the link: What if all the clean hydrogen we need is already underground?(houstonchronicle.com).
If you would
like help in looking into how to transport your product efficiently, safely, and
with less of a carbon footprint, contact us via email in the blog and check out
our ESC's website!
Don’t forget the Houston Livestock and Rodeo is
happening at the NRG Park and its worth a visit! Check out HLSR and its
daily activities by clicking the link: The Official Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Website (rodeohouston.com).
We hope you have a wonderful evening and a great rest of
your week!
**Disclaimer: You may be charged a fee to read The
Houston Chronicle’s article. **