In a landmark shift toward low-carbon operations, leading companies spanning mining, oil and gas, automotive manufacturing, steel production and logistics are accelerating pilot programs and partnerships centered on naturally occurring “white” hydrogen. Extracted directly from subsurface reservoirs without carbon-intensive processing, white hydrogen promises fuel costs below $1 per kilogram and virtually zero emissions at point of use—advantages prompting some of the world’s biggest firms to move from research to real-world trials in 2024 and 2025.
Mining Giants Trial Hydrogen-Powered Haul Trucks
Australian miner Fortescue Metals Group has emerged as one of the first major adopters of white hydrogen fuel in heavy-duty equipment. In May 2024, its prototype haul truck “Europa,” developed in partnership with Liebherr, ran entirely on liquid hydrogen for the first time, storing over 380 kg of fuel and combining a 500 kW fuel-cell stack with a 1.6 MWh battery system for 2,700 hp output and extended range. By August, Europa completed a 1,100 km transfer from Perth to the Pilbara mining region to begin on-site testing at Christmas Creek, where Fortescue’s adjacent Green Energy Hub produces hydrogen via on-site renewables and white hydrogen prospects. The company plans a gradual roll-out of a fleet of zero-emission haul trucks from 2026, marking a first for large-scale open-pit mining.
Complementing Fortescue’s efforts, fellow Australian explorer HyTerra, 39.8 percent owned by Fortescue, commenced a 12-month drilling program in Kansas’s Nemaha Project to assess the commercial viability of white hydrogen extraction in the United States. Early drilling logs show hydrogen concentrations up to 92 percent in historical wells—figures that could underpin mid-decade fuel supplies for industrial and transport uses.
Oil and Gas Majors Explore Geological Hydrogen
Global energy players are moving beyond green and blue hydrogen to tap white hydrogen’s low-cost edge. Russia’s state-owned Gazprom has launched multiple exploration campaigns in Eastern Siberia, though initial results were underwhelming, with hydrogen yields often too low for immediate development. Undeterred, Gazprom Hydrogen LLC, a dedicated subsidiary, is coordinating pilot sites and has engaged foreign partners including Linde and Siemens to test methane-hydrogen blends in gas turbines, aiming to cut carbon emissions from power generation.
In a notable crossover between sectors, Gazprom is also in talks with Hyundai Motor Company to construct Moscow’s first hydrogen fueling station using subsurface-sourced hydrogen, potentially unlocking a domestic refueling network for fuel-cell vehicles and trucks. If built, this station would validate subsurface gas’s fitness for high-pressure dispensing.
Meanwhile, British oil giant BP has quietly funneled venture capital into natural hydrogen start-ups via BP Ventures, seeking to secure early positions in the sector. Although primarily known for green hydrogen electrolysis projects, BP’s latest U.S. impact report confirms a portfolio review that includes potential white hydrogen pilots close to its Whiting, Indiana refinery—part of a broader Midwest low-carbon hydrogen hub alliance backed by a $1 billion federal award.
Automotive Partnerships and Infrastructure Expansion
Automakers reliant on fuel-cell technology are also turning to white hydrogen as a cost-effective alternative to green hydrogen. In September 2024, Toyota and BMW signed a memorandum of understanding to co-develop next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains and harmonize fueling infrastructure standards, aiming to bring BMW’s first production hydrogen model to market by 2028]. Their plan underscores an industry-wide need to overcome sparse fueling networks—particularly outside California, where less than 350 fuel-cell vehicles were sold in the first half of 2024.
To address this bottleneck, the Port of Houston Authority secured a $25 million federal grant in January 2025 to build a pipeline-based hydrogen refueling station at Bayport for heavy-duty trucks. Linde PLC will design, construct and operate the station, which forms part of a public-private effort to decarbonize freight along the Gulf Coast and leverage local natural hydrogen deposits for domestic fuel supply.
In Europe, Air Products & Chemicals received government funding in April 2024 to deploy two high-capacity hydrogen refueling stations in North Rhine-Westphalia. Designed to service buses, trucks and logistics fleets, these stations aim to anchor Germany’s goal of 200 hydrogen stations by 2030 and will test blends of white and green hydrogen to optimize operating costs.
Steelmakers and Heavy Industry Eye Subsurface Supply
The steel sector, historically dependent on coal-fired reduction, is pioneering hydrogen-based direct reduction processes that could integrate white hydrogen when extraction scaling is proven. In Germany, Salzgitter and Thyssenkrupp are conducting pilot DRI operations using blends of hydrogen and natural gas—tests that could pivot to natural subsurface hydrogen if proximity and purity criteria align with industrial feedstock requirements.
Analysts from Wood Mackenzie forecast that, even if green hydrogen meets the bulk of demand by 2050, white hydrogen could supply up to 17 Mtpa of low-carbon hydrogen, thanks to its negligible processing costs (below US$1/kg) and minimal conversion losses. Major petrochemical and fertilizer producers in Canada and the U.S. have already expressed interest in white hydrogen to replace emissions-intensive feedstocks.
Cross-sector trials underscore a broader policy imperative: governments from France to Australia are amending mining and petroleum codes to regulate white hydrogen exploration, while U.S. authorities consider tax credits for geologic hydrogen hubs. In Canada, pilot programs are testing hydrogen-blended natural gas for transit buses and freight corridors, with potential blends up to 20 percent by volume [14].
Key players in the natural hydrogen market now include start-ups such as Koloma, Gold Hydrogen, Natural Hydrogen Energy LLC, Hydroma Inc. and Helios, which have attracted strategic partnerships with oil and gas majors, mining firms and utility operators [15]. As these initiatives evolve, the viability of white hydrogen as a mainstream industrial and transportation fuel will hinge on successful reservoir appraisal, cost-effective drilling techniques and logistics networks capable of handling cryogenic liquid or high-pressure gas.
With over a dozen pilot sites under way globally and dozens more planned, the white hydrogen sector is rapidly transitioning from exploratory drilling to fuel shipments. If commercial extraction proves scalable, these endeavors could unlock an abundant, low-cost hydrogen supply that accelerates decarbonization across heavy industries, mobility and power generation—ushering in a new chapter in the global energy transition.
(Source:www.cnbc.com)
Mining Giants Trial Hydrogen-Powered Haul Trucks
Australian miner Fortescue Metals Group has emerged as one of the first major adopters of white hydrogen fuel in heavy-duty equipment. In May 2024, its prototype haul truck “Europa,” developed in partnership with Liebherr, ran entirely on liquid hydrogen for the first time, storing over 380 kg of fuel and combining a 500 kW fuel-cell stack with a 1.6 MWh battery system for 2,700 hp output and extended range. By August, Europa completed a 1,100 km transfer from Perth to the Pilbara mining region to begin on-site testing at Christmas Creek, where Fortescue’s adjacent Green Energy Hub produces hydrogen via on-site renewables and white hydrogen prospects. The company plans a gradual roll-out of a fleet of zero-emission haul trucks from 2026, marking a first for large-scale open-pit mining.
Complementing Fortescue’s efforts, fellow Australian explorer HyTerra, 39.8 percent owned by Fortescue, commenced a 12-month drilling program in Kansas’s Nemaha Project to assess the commercial viability of white hydrogen extraction in the United States. Early drilling logs show hydrogen concentrations up to 92 percent in historical wells—figures that could underpin mid-decade fuel supplies for industrial and transport uses.
Oil and Gas Majors Explore Geological Hydrogen
Global energy players are moving beyond green and blue hydrogen to tap white hydrogen’s low-cost edge. Russia’s state-owned Gazprom has launched multiple exploration campaigns in Eastern Siberia, though initial results were underwhelming, with hydrogen yields often too low for immediate development. Undeterred, Gazprom Hydrogen LLC, a dedicated subsidiary, is coordinating pilot sites and has engaged foreign partners including Linde and Siemens to test methane-hydrogen blends in gas turbines, aiming to cut carbon emissions from power generation.
In a notable crossover between sectors, Gazprom is also in talks with Hyundai Motor Company to construct Moscow’s first hydrogen fueling station using subsurface-sourced hydrogen, potentially unlocking a domestic refueling network for fuel-cell vehicles and trucks. If built, this station would validate subsurface gas’s fitness for high-pressure dispensing.
Meanwhile, British oil giant BP has quietly funneled venture capital into natural hydrogen start-ups via BP Ventures, seeking to secure early positions in the sector. Although primarily known for green hydrogen electrolysis projects, BP’s latest U.S. impact report confirms a portfolio review that includes potential white hydrogen pilots close to its Whiting, Indiana refinery—part of a broader Midwest low-carbon hydrogen hub alliance backed by a $1 billion federal award.
Automotive Partnerships and Infrastructure Expansion
Automakers reliant on fuel-cell technology are also turning to white hydrogen as a cost-effective alternative to green hydrogen. In September 2024, Toyota and BMW signed a memorandum of understanding to co-develop next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains and harmonize fueling infrastructure standards, aiming to bring BMW’s first production hydrogen model to market by 2028]. Their plan underscores an industry-wide need to overcome sparse fueling networks—particularly outside California, where less than 350 fuel-cell vehicles were sold in the first half of 2024.
To address this bottleneck, the Port of Houston Authority secured a $25 million federal grant in January 2025 to build a pipeline-based hydrogen refueling station at Bayport for heavy-duty trucks. Linde PLC will design, construct and operate the station, which forms part of a public-private effort to decarbonize freight along the Gulf Coast and leverage local natural hydrogen deposits for domestic fuel supply.
In Europe, Air Products & Chemicals received government funding in April 2024 to deploy two high-capacity hydrogen refueling stations in North Rhine-Westphalia. Designed to service buses, trucks and logistics fleets, these stations aim to anchor Germany’s goal of 200 hydrogen stations by 2030 and will test blends of white and green hydrogen to optimize operating costs.
Steelmakers and Heavy Industry Eye Subsurface Supply
The steel sector, historically dependent on coal-fired reduction, is pioneering hydrogen-based direct reduction processes that could integrate white hydrogen when extraction scaling is proven. In Germany, Salzgitter and Thyssenkrupp are conducting pilot DRI operations using blends of hydrogen and natural gas—tests that could pivot to natural subsurface hydrogen if proximity and purity criteria align with industrial feedstock requirements.
Analysts from Wood Mackenzie forecast that, even if green hydrogen meets the bulk of demand by 2050, white hydrogen could supply up to 17 Mtpa of low-carbon hydrogen, thanks to its negligible processing costs (below US$1/kg) and minimal conversion losses. Major petrochemical and fertilizer producers in Canada and the U.S. have already expressed interest in white hydrogen to replace emissions-intensive feedstocks.
Cross-sector trials underscore a broader policy imperative: governments from France to Australia are amending mining and petroleum codes to regulate white hydrogen exploration, while U.S. authorities consider tax credits for geologic hydrogen hubs. In Canada, pilot programs are testing hydrogen-blended natural gas for transit buses and freight corridors, with potential blends up to 20 percent by volume [14].
Key players in the natural hydrogen market now include start-ups such as Koloma, Gold Hydrogen, Natural Hydrogen Energy LLC, Hydroma Inc. and Helios, which have attracted strategic partnerships with oil and gas majors, mining firms and utility operators [15]. As these initiatives evolve, the viability of white hydrogen as a mainstream industrial and transportation fuel will hinge on successful reservoir appraisal, cost-effective drilling techniques and logistics networks capable of handling cryogenic liquid or high-pressure gas.
With over a dozen pilot sites under way globally and dozens more planned, the white hydrogen sector is rapidly transitioning from exploratory drilling to fuel shipments. If commercial extraction proves scalable, these endeavors could unlock an abundant, low-cost hydrogen supply that accelerates decarbonization across heavy industries, mobility and power generation—ushering in a new chapter in the global energy transition.
(Source:www.cnbc.com)