Econews reported that at the International Hydro-energy Conference (IH2CON) in Moscow, Gazprom Hydrogen introduced the potential for natural white hydrogen exploitation in Eastern Russia.
White Hydropower, formed by geological processes, brings unprecedented opportunities to the global hydrogen economy. With the possession of major gas fields such as Kovykta and Chayandinskoye, Russia could become an important opponent in the international energy market.
White hydrogen is different from other types of hydrogen thanks to its low exploitation costs and minimal environmental impact. While green hydrogen requires expensive electrolytes, and blue hydrogen requires carbon capture technology, white hydrogen is naturally created underground.
White Hydropower can be used as clean fuel for industry, transportation or electricity production without emitting CO2. White Hydro is not a fossil gas like natural gas, but it has the potential to replace gas in many applications thanks to its carbon-free and more environmentally friendly nature.
Recently, studies at the Kovykta mine in Irkutsk have confirmed the presence of white hydrogen in the mixture of hydrocarburine, methane, helium and oxygen. Although the concentration has only reached 3%, the discovery marks an important step forward.
With 1.8 trillion m3 of gas, 65.7 million tons of condensed gas and modern infrastructure such as film separation equipment, Kovykta will be a model for industrial-scale hydrogen exploitation.
However, the exploitation of white hydrogen is not simple due to low concentration and incomplete separation technology. The hydrogen market has fluctuated greatly, making long-term planning difficult.
While countries like France are researching white hydrogen as a cheap solution, Russia is still the country with the richest resources, especially in Eastern Siberia and Yakutia, where geological conditions are favorable.
Although the EU is focusing on green and blue hydrogen, the Asian market, especially China, is increasing the use of low-carbon energy.
Gazprom is leading in the hydrogen sector with 350,000 tons/year serving domestic demand. New projects to reduce carbon footprints and exploit white hydrogen will help Russia increase its competitiveness in the international energy market. If successful, white hydrogen could change the game and lay the foundation for a new energy era.
