This Canadian Mine Might Release Enough Natural Hydrogen Each Year to Power 400 Homes, Hinting at an Untapped Source of Clean Energy
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A Canadian mine has been found to release enough natural hydrogen each year to power over 400 homes, indicating a potential new source of clean energy. Researchers collected groundwater from deep boreholes at the mine, revealing significant amounts of dissolved natural hydrogen. This discovery suggests that many metal mines could be tapped for hydrogen, which is considered a cleaner alternative to fossil fuel-derived hydrogen.
- ▪The mine in Ontario discharges enough natural hydrogen annually to power more than 400 households.
- ▪Researchers collected groundwater from 35 boreholes, revealing an average release of 0.009 U.S. tons of hydrogen per year per borehole.
- ▪The entire mine could potentially release over 150 million U.S. tons of hydrogen each year, providing substantial energy.
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This Canadian Mine Might Release Enough Natural Hydrogen Each Year to Power 400 Homes, Hinting at an Untapped Source of Clean Energy Many of the country’s metal mines are embedded in an ancient rock formation that probably also houses a lot of the resource, referred to as “white hydrogen” Margherita Bassi | Daily Correspondent May 21, 2026 10:00 a.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source Researchers collected groundwater in boreholes up to 1.8 miles underground. The water contains dissolved natural hydrogen. Barbara Sherwood Lollar Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. We commonly use it to manufacture fertilizer and to make certain foods shelf-stable, among other applications.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Smithsonian Magazine.
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