Isabelle Moretti: ‘It is very likely that there are natural hydrogen deposits in Colombia’

French scientist Isabelle Moretti believes that Colombia is very likely to have deposits of natural hydrogen, an alternative to replace oil and coal in the future, thus reducing polluting CO2 emissions. The 64-year-old researcher, born in the Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, tells EL PAÍS that “the number of square kilometers in the Colombian mountain ranges where there are rocks that can generate this fuel is quite high.”

Moretti, an active member of the French Academy of Technology and a professor at the Sorbonne University, went to Colombia to give a workshop on the current state and possibilities of exploring this hydrogen, also known as white hydrogen. In the panel, organized by the Colombian Geological Service, the scientist shared her knowledge about the natural hydrogen found in Australia, Mali, Canada, Brazil, Bolivia and other countries, a subject she knows well from her career in industry and academia. The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy is working on a strategy to encourage research into this natural resource. The outgoing minister Irene Vélez stated a few months ago that white hydrogen is “a way of gradually replacing our hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation industry.” Moretti agrees, and hopes the law will promote the search for this clean fuel.

Question. Why is the use of natural hydrogen important?

Answer. We need to lower the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. It is time to reduce and change the type of energy we are using in order to protect the planet and fight global warming. Currently, hydrogen is used for the chemical industry, but also for rocket propulsion and for some cars and buses. Using it is a real possibility to lower the level of CO2 that is emitted by mobility, because when white hydrogen is burned it only produces water. It is a clean fuel.

Q. Could it be an alternative to replace oil and coal?

A. Yes, it is a long-term alternative to replace hydrocarbons. Today, two types of hydrogen are mainly used in the industry: the so-called gray, which is produced by separating the methane particles, and the green, which is extracted from water with an electrolysis process, without generating residues other than oxygen. The problem is that green hydrogen costs a lot more than gray hydrogen. Natural or white hydrogen is stored underground in gaseous form, it doesn’t pollute and is much cheaper than gray. That is why the expectations in science and in the industry are high.

Q. How is white hydrogen produced?

A. In the subsoil, there are different chemical reactions that generate hydrogen. The most common is when old rocks that contain iron oxidize in contact with water. This happens, for instance, with submarine volcanoes, which are full of hydrogen. However, this hydrogen is far from the shore, far from the people, and it is difficult to transport and use. The same reaction can happen in coastal areas where the sea hits the rocks. There are also very old oceanic rocks that are now in the mountains, which produce hydrogen when they come in contact with rainwater. This is common in southern Spain and on the island of New Caledonia, in the Pacific. Another source of this hydrogen is the iron-rich rock, a very old type of continental rock that formed when the atmosphere didn’t have so much oxygen. It can be found in the iron mines of South Africa, Australia or Namibia; in those regions the exploration of natural hydrogen has already started.

Q. What about Colombia?

A. In Colombia there is also a lot of oceanic rock in the Central and Eastern Ranges. So, with the rainwater, natural hydrogen is surely being produced.

Q. Why hasn’t exploration started?

A. There are not many studies that show exactly how much hydrogen is in the subsoil in Colombia, because searching for this natural resource is not allowed by the law. However, the Ministry of Mines and Energy is working to modify the regulation and include white hydrogen among the resources that can be extracted. That’s almost ready. When it is approved, large-scale research can begin.

Q. Do you have any indications that there may be hydrogen in the Colombian subsoil?

A. Yes. There is scientific research that has looked for natural hydrogen, and the results are encouraging. There are indications that let us dream that it is present in the Colombian subsoil. For example, in a research project of the National University, I went with a student to an area between Cali and Medellin with a hydrogen detector, and we found it there. It is a positive sign to find reserves in the subsoil. Colombia has rocks that can generate natural hydrogen in the mountain ranges. There are also coal, nickel and iron mines, minerals that can produce hydrogen. That is why we believe that it is very likely that there are natural hydrogen deposits in Colombia. The number of square kilometers where there are rocks that can generate this fuel is quite high.

Q. What is the hydrogen detector like?

A. It is a gas detector that can measure oxygen, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen and other dangerous gases that we sometimes seek for safety reasons. We make a small hole in the ground, 80 centimeters (31.5 inches), we introduce a special tube and the device sucks the air that is in the ground and tells us what’s in it. In that test, we found hydrogen.

Q. Is any country already systematically producing energy with natural hydrogen?

A. The only country where there is mass production is Mali. A few years ago there were people looking for underground water; they drilled and found no liquid, but they did find hydrogen. Electricity for houses is generated with it. The size of the deposit is being analyzed, and apparently it’s huge. The potential of hydrogen is so great that many companies are beginning to invest in exploration. A few weeks ago, billionaire Bill Gates invested almost $1 million in the search for white hydrogen through a company that already has an exploration block in the United States.

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