2024-02-18 04:02:36
It was an unexpected discovery, as is often the case in science: researchers have potentially discovered “the largest reserve in the world” of white, or native, hydrogen in the coal subsoil of the Moselle.
After 150 years of coal mining, does the Lorraine mining basin still contain any secrets? This is what researchers from the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) have been trying to discover for four years, via a research project called Regalor.
With a probe, descended to more than 1,000 meters deep in the subsoil of Folschviller (Moselle), the researchers, who were in search of methane, in fact discovered significant quantities of white hydrogen, a gas which forms naturally in basements.
If the concentrations of this native hydrogen are identical throughout the Lorraine coal basin, the discovery would represent “60 million tonnes” of this resource naturally generated by the Earth, potentially “the largest world reserve”, according to Jacques Pironon, director of research, geologist by training, in charge of the Regalor project, during a conference in Petite-Rosselle (Moselle) at the beginning of February.
These first estimates will, however, “need to be refined with further drilling,” he said.
Native hydrogen is formed naturally in the subsoil, via chemical reactions, between water and minerals for example.
“For two years, we have been continuously measuring, every 30 minutes, the gases” present in the subsoil, thus creating “one of the largest data banks” in the world on these native hydrogen concentrations, explained Philippe by Donato, also research director at the CNRS and in charge of Regalor.
The wells cross the coal seams formerly exploited in Moselle, and other layers of minerals where the concentrations of white hydrogen increase with the depth of the probe.
For now, scientists have reached a depth of 1,250 meters with a “unique in the world” probe measuring six centimeters in diameter, underlines Mr. de Donato.
“At a depth of 1,250 meters, we discovered a concentration of 20% of white hydrogen in the gas mixtures,” explained Jacques Pironon.
And according to several models, the hydrogen content might reach 90% at a depth of 3,000 meters.
– Kings II –
Natural hydrogen is attracting growing interest for the decarbonization of industry and transport. This gas is currently mainly used for the production of ammonia, methanol, fuels or the refining of petroleum products.
The European Union wants to produce 20 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030.
In mid-December, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron announced in Toulouse the launch of “exploration missions” of natural hydrogen reservoirs throughout the territory, promising “massive funding” in the field.
“We cannot let this resource sleep,” he said. “We’re going all out on electrolyzers, but now we’re going twice as fast on natural hydrogen.”
“Research permit applications are underway for potential deposits in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region,” indicates the website of the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
The researchers and their partners, including La Française de l’Energie, will submit the authorization request for the Regalor II project on April 29, which should make it possible to determine in what ways this hydrogen can be exploited.
The Folschviller site, where the measurement operations take place, “will never give rise to exploitation”, however, the researchers clarified, and will remain a site dedicated to research.
Discussions are underway with state services to carry out deeper drilling, up to “3,000, 3,500 meters deep” around Saint-Avold (Moselle), said Mr. Pironon. This might make it possible to determine at what depth level white hydrogen is created.
The first natural hydrogen deposit was discovered in Mali. It has been operated since 2011, with 90 tonnes of production per year, which allows the electrification of a village.
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