White Hydrogen Found in Canada’s Shield

Geochemists from the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa measured continuous natural “white hydrogen” releases from boreholes in billion-year-old rock near Timmins, Ontario. Monitoring 15,000 boreholes revealed over 140 tonnes per year, with each borehole averaging eight kilograms annually. The flow persists for decades, supplying roughly 4.7 million kilowatt-hours yearly—enough for more than 400 households.

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The hydrogen forms via underground chemical reactions between groundwater and minerals abundant in the Canadian Shield. These ancient formations also host copper, nickel, diamonds, and transition-metal deposits such as lithium and cobalt, placing the gas within active mining districts.

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The study was led by Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar of the University of Toronto’s Department of Earth Sciences, with collaborators at the University of Ottawa. Results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 18 May 2024.

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Annual discharge exceeds 140 tonnes, equivalent to 4.7 million kWh—enough for over 400 homes. Individual boreholes emit about eight kilograms per year. By contrast, the $135 billion global hydrogen market relies largely on fossil-derived processes, while green hydrogen demands extensive electricity and infrastructure.

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Researchers argue the resource could be a domestically sourced, cost-effective alternative to imported hydrocarbon-based hydrogen. Because the gas occurs within mining regions, companies could theoretically power operations directly from the subsurface, reducing the need for costly pipelines and supporting regional industry hubs.

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The authors stress that the data reveal critical untapped opportunities for domestic energy production from the Earth’s crust. They note Canada’s extensive Shield geology uniquely positions the nation to develop a clean hydrogen supply chain anchored in existing mining infrastructure, marking the first measured evidence of sustained natural hydrogen discharge.

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• “Such discharges could provide 4.7 million kilowatts of energy per year from a single location – enough to support the annual energy needs of over 400 households,” — Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Professor, University of Toronto

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• “The data from this study suggests there are critical untapped opportunities to access a domestic source of cost-effective energy produced from the rocks beneath our feet,” — Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Professor, University of Toronto

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• “Natural hydrogen is produced over time through underground chemical reactions between rocks and the groundwaters in those rocks,” — Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Professor, University of Toronto

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• “Canada is blessed that vast amounts of its territories, especially on the Canadian Shield, contain the right rocks and minerals to create this natural hydrogen,” — Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Professor, University of Toronto

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The authors propose that mining companies could theoretically tap the subsurface hydrogen to power their own operations, avoiding the construction of large pipelines.

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