Natural hydrogen exploration in Italy: geologic suitability, prospects, and current challenges

In the pursuit of energy independence, security, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the world faces the challenge of transitioning to clean energy sources. To achieve the transition toward net-zero carbon emissions in the near-future, Italy set a National Plan for Recovery and Resilience (PNRR), in which €3.2 billion are allocated for the research, production, and use of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen production will, however, require the release of CO2 in the atmosphere and an unprecedented amount of new infrastructure and supply of critical minerals, which are significant challenges. There is therefore an urgent need to explore for game-changing, carbon free, environment-friendly natural or geologic hydrogen to complement green hydrogen production, as well as developing large-scale techniques to permanently sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases from the Earth’s atmosphere, thereby mitigating climate change, and enhancing energy security and transition in the shortest possible time. Several recent studies have demonstrated that the Earth’s subsurface generates and probably host significant accumulations of natural hydrogen in different geologic settings, at mid-ocean ridges, ophiolitic and orogenic peridotite complexes, sedimentary basins and continental rifts, cratons and Precambrian shields, and tectonically active regions. Unlike green and blue hydrogen, natural hydrogen is naturally occurring, with minimal extraction costs and zero carbon emissions at the source. Hence, natural hydrogen is a primary energy resource that can be readily introduced into the existing energy supply, and has the potential of becoming the fuel of the future. Italy, characterized by its tectonically active regions, numerous ophiolitic and orogenic peridotite complexes, sedimentary basins, and geothermal systems, provides an intriguing case for investigating natural hydrogen’s resource potential. The NHEAT (Natural Hydrogen for Energy trAnsiTion) project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the PRIN 2022 framework, aims to rethink, reshape, and reorient hydrogen research in Italy, focusing on natural hydrogen’s role in the energy transition. In this study, we outline the current understanding of natural hydrogen systems, evaluates Italy’s geologic suitability, and discusses implications for exploration and utilization.