The European Union has become obsessed with investing billions of euros in the promise of green hydrogen. This is produced from the electrolysis of water using renewable energy, mainly wind and solar. However, in the frozen north of Europe, there is a country that sits atop a vast geological reserve that suggests that the clean energy solution could be inefficient, to say the least.
This is Finland and its bedrock, where large concentrations of natural hydrogen and helium have been confirmed. Is it really necessary to invest so much in supposedly green energies, when they are so inefficient and expensive, given that we have natural reserves like these right here in Europe?
The Power of Geological Gas
Any ordinary person would overlook these deposits. After all, they are not rocks, but gases. However, one of them is essential to the energy world, and the other is invaluable to the industrial sector. The first is white hydrogen: unlike gray hydrogen—produced from long-burning gas—or green hydrogen—produced from green electricity—white hydrogen is generated naturally on a continuous basis. This hydrogen is formed by the reaction of water with iron-rich rocks (such as serpentinites), a mineral that is very common in Finnish geology.
According to samples taken from the Outokumpu well, the gas detected there could contain up to 46% of this hydrogen, indicating the existence of large underground accumulations. If this source were to be exploited, its economic impact would be revolutionary. Analysts estimate that the theoretical cost of producing white hydrogen could be as low as less than one US dollar per kilogram.
To put this into context, the current cost of green hydrogen often exceeds six dollars per kilogram. This would dismantle the entire renewable energy system currently in place in the European Union. White hydrogen would be a viable and affordable alternative to fossil fuels.
Helium, that finite and precious resource
Helium is perhaps the most coveted industrial gas: it cannot be created, it is finite and scarce. Although it is not a source of energy, it is a strategic resource and absolutely essential for modern technology. This is why both industrial entrepreneurs and geologists are rubbing their hands together at the geological deposit in Finland: surface samples collected in the exploration areas showed concentrations of up to 10.7% helium. This is equivalent to finding a gold mine, as it is a very high level. To put this into context, the typical commercial threshold for a helium deposit to be considered viable is just 0.3%.
This gas is so valuable because it is used in things like cryogenics, the science of extremely low temperatures. It is used to cool the superconducting magnets inside the MRI machines used in hospitals. It is also necessary for the manufacture of semiconductors, the chips that power all digital technology. It is also used in the space industry.
Finland and its geological wealth
Believe it or not, Finland’s geology makes it an immensely rich country. Located on the Fennoscandian Shield—one of the oldest and most abundant mineral-rich areas in Europe—the exploitation of these natural resources has always been a backbone of its economy. However, Finland is already a key player in the European Union’s rare raw materials supply chain.
It is currently the only country in the European Union that produces refined cobalt, which is essential for the manufacture of electric vehicle batteries. It also supplies the continent with other key materials, such as nickel, copper, and gold, from its mines in Kittilä. The emergence of white hydrogen and helium in the country is simply an extension of this geological wealth, not an anomaly.
For now, commercial extraction is not considered viable. The project promoted by the company 80 Mile PLC is still in the advanced exploration stage. As with the gold mine in China at such a deep depth, the industry faces a major challenge. It will not be an easy task to extract this hydrogen and helium without managing leaks at the same time.