Overview
- Researchers from the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa published a peer‑reviewed PNAS study reporting the first decade‑long, in situ record of natural hydrogen discharging from Canadian Shield rocks at an active mine near Timmins, Ontario.
- The team measured about 0.008 tonnes of hydrogen per borehole per year and extrapolated that the site’s roughly 15,000 boreholes could emit more than 140 tonnes of hydrogen annually, equal to about 4.7 million kilowatt‑hours of energy.
- The hydrogen is generated by rock‑water reactions such as serpentinization and by radiolysis from radioactive decay, and it often appears alongside methane and helium that would need to be separated after capture.
- Capturing on‑site hydrogen could let mines power operations and lower fuel costs for nearby communities because the gas is already being vented, but firms will need new separation technology, mapping, and pilot projects to test economic viability.
- Authors and outside geochemists say the finding points to wider potential because similar rock types exist across much of the continental crust, yet variable geology, microbial consumption, and infrastructure needs mean further field mapping and trials are required.