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🗞️ Driving the news: Recent discoveries of vast underground deposits of white hydrogen, also known as natural or geologic hydrogen, are attracting global attention
• Unlike other forms of hydrogen, white hydrogen doesn't require electricity to be separated from other elements, potentially offering a cleaner and more cost-effective energy source

🔭 The context: Hydrogen is categorized by colors indicating its production method and sustainability, with white hydrogen emerging as a potentially limitless and clean energy source
• It's already in use in a village in Mali, providing electricity through direct combustion without carbon emissions

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: As countries seek alternatives to fossil fuels, white hydrogen could play a significant role in the energy transition
• However, challenges such as its flammability, the difficulty in detecting leaks, and the cost of transportation due to its lightness need to be addressed

⏭️ What's next: The interest in white hydrogen is growing, with significant investments flowing in. The industry could be valued at $75 billion by 2030
• The focus now is on developing technologies and policies to safely harness this resource

💬 One quote: "If it does, perhaps the oil and gas industry can turn its capabilities to extracting hydrogen produced by subsurface geological processes, shepherding in a new era of low-carbon fuels" (Michael Webber, University of Texas)

📈 One stat: A US-based startup claims white hydrogen could be produced at half the cost of the cheapest green hydrogen, indicating significant economic potential

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