hydrogen

Hydrogen, the emergence of a clean energy

“Native”, “natural”, “white” or “geological”, hydrogen is produced naturally in the ground, without external energy. Natural hydrogen provides an additional solution to the low carbon hydrogen mix.

What is hydrogen?

What are its characteristics?

Abundant

Hydrogen is the most widespread element in the universe, main constituent of the sun and most of the stars.

Natural

Its pure form, di-hydrogen, is being created naturally by chemical reactions in the earth’s crust.

Rarely alone

Hydrogen is mostly associated with other elements to form molecules (water, methane, starch, sugar, alcohol, etc.)

The lightest

Hydrogen is the smallest and lightest element (14 times lighter than air).

An energy

Natural hydrogen contains 3 times more energy than gasoline.

Non-toxic and odourless

In its pure form, di-hydrogen is invisible, odourless and non-toxic.

The hydrogen market in Europe

Sources of Hâ‚‚ production in Europe

No Data Found

Sources : economie.gouv.fr / France Hydrogène (AFHYPAC), IHS Markit, Les Echos

Native hydrogen: a field of the future in which 45-8 ENERGY is investing

earthâ‚‚

The earthâ‚‚ initiative, originally created by 45-8 ENERGY and CVA Group, is now supported by the AVENIA cluster. It aims to federate the subsurface hydrogen players (native hydrogen and storage) to carry the colors of this new and decarbonized energy. Through this initiative, we also want to work on understanding the "natural hydrogen system" with a view to actively contributing to future exploration programs for this new low-carbon energy.

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European Clean Hydrogen Alliance

45-8 ENERGY becomes the first natural hydrogen exploration and production company to join the Alliance!

The aim of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance is to deploy green hydrogen by 2030 and to help the European Union achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The alliance also has more than 500 members working in the field of clean hydrogen through working groups. Their role: to set up a hydrogen industry in Europe, by helping to develop innovative and competitive projects.

France Hydrogène

France Hydrogène (formerly AFHYPAC) federates the hydrogen and fuel cell players in France with this ambition to accelerate the development of hydrogen solutions for the benefit of the energy transition.

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H40 Index

Our eco-friendly exploration and production activity of natural hydrogen was acknowledge and enabled us to join the H40 Index created by MEDEF International & France Hydrogène.

Hydrogen uses

Hydrogen, in its pure form dihydrogen, offers unique properties that make it strategic and sought-after.

Hydrogen and its main production methods

Produced from subsurface

Produced from subsurface

Hydrogen is naturally produced on the planet and is the most abundant element on Earth. Hydrogen extracted from the subsurface is known as white hydrogen or natural hydrogen. 

This process differs from all other production methods in that it allows us to benefit from low-carbon hydrogen, at very competitive costs, which requires no water, no anthropogenic energy and no critical raw materials to produce.

It is this kind of hydrogen that 45-8 ENERGY intends to explore and produce.

By steam reforming of hydrocarbons

By steam reforming of hydrocarbons

Most hydrogen consumed today is being produced from natural gas (CH4). The "steam reforming" process breaks down the methane molecule to recover the hydrogen that makes it up using steam. 

However, this process also generates carbon dioxide. We call grey hydrogen when the CO2 generated is released into the atmosphere without recovery and blue hydrogen when the carbon dioxide produced is captured et valued. 

45-8 ENERGY plans to transform directly on its production sites, any methane fractions that might be associated with helium and natural hydrogen in the subsurface into blue hydrogen.

By water electrolysis

By water electrolysis

As part of the European strategy for the development of low-carbon hydrogen, initiatives to manufacture hydrogen are being emerging. 

This electrochemical reaction, called "water electrolysis", splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using a large amount of electricity. 

We call green hydrogen when the electricity used for this process comes from renewable energies, pink hydrogen when it comes from nuclear energy and yellow hydrogen when it comes from solar energy or other sources.

By coal gasification

By coal gasification

This is the oldest process used to produce hydrogen on an industrial scale. Gasification converts the carbonaceous elements in coal, both organic and fossil, into hydrogen, carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) through a thermochemical treatment using steam. 

The hydrogen is then separated from the other elements by means of specific absorbers or membranes. We talk about black or brown hydrogen, depending on the type of coal used. 

This technique is extremely polluting as the CO2 and the CO generated cannot be reused and are released into the atmosphere.

Hydrogen from geological sources for 45-8 ENERGY

45-8 ENERGY has a strong interest in hydrogen of geological origin, originating and generated from the subsurface. We are exploring:

Native hydrogen

Native hydrogen is produced naturally in the subsurface. Its formation requires no critical materials, no anthropogenic energy and does not impact the available water resource.

Native hydrogen is still little known and yet it appears to be a complementary solution to other low-carbon hydrogen production processes, an essential pillar in the energy transition we are experiencing.

To date, several potential areas have been identified by 45-8 ENERGY. This is the case, for example, with our application for an exploration permit, currently under investigation, in Kosovo.

Local blue Hydrogen

In some geological contexts, helium and natural hydrogen can sometimes be associated with methane.

Considering the climatic urgency and the sovereignty regarding the production of strategic resources, 45-8 ENERGY envisages the transformation on site of these possible fractions of methane into blue hydrogen, thanks to the process of “vaporeforming”.

The carbon dioxide generated by this process will be captured and purified to supply local consumer industries (food industry, dry ice manufacturers, fire-fighting, etc.), in a market that is also tight.

To date, 45-8 ENERGY is evaluating this possibility of producing local hydrogen on site, always with the will to co-value the resources (helium, methane and carbon dioxide) when our Guhlen II exploration license in eastern Germany will be approved by the authorities.

Hydrogen in few figures

This is currently the annual French consumption of hydrogen.
0 kt
of carbon-free hydrogen are produced worldwide.
0 %
companies dedicated to natural hydrogen since 45-8 ENERGY creation in 2017.
+ 0
This is the COâ‚‚ released by producing 1t of Hâ‚‚ by steam reforming.
0 t
This is the allocated budget to develop the hydrogen sector in France.
0 Md€
This is the distance that a car can travel with 1kg of hydrogen.
0 km
This is currently the annual French consumption of hydrogen.
0 kt
of carbon-free hydrogen are produced in France.
0 %
companies dedicated to natural hydrogen since 45-8 ENERGY creation in 2017.
+ 0
This is the COâ‚‚ released for the production of 1t of Hâ‚‚ by steam reforming.
0 t
This is the allocated budget to develop the hydrogen sector in France.
0 Md€
This is the distance that a car can travel with 1kg of hydrogen.
0 km

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