Review of the UK’s geological potential for the generation and accumulation of natural hydrogen

Wright, K.A.; Lacinska, A.M.; Unwin, H.E.; Shaw, R.A.; Armitage, T.B.; Marriott, A.L.; Goodenough, K.M.; Vosper, M.; Mackie, J.; Zhang, Q.. 2025 Review of the UK’s geological potential for the generation and accumulation of natural hydrogen. Nottingham, UK, British Geological Survey, 63pp. (OR/25/015) (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

Natural hydrogen is a naturally occurring gas, produced by a series of chemical reactions within rock formations, from where it migrates until it is trapped, typically in porous reservoirs beneath less permeable cap rocks. It is a potentially low-carbon alternative fuel/energy carrier that received an increased interest in recent decades as hydrogen has become a potentially important component of the UK’s future energy mix. To date, the potential scale and accessibility of natural hydrogen in the UK has not been well understood. This study provides a high level, national scale geological map-based assessment of the UK potential for natural hydrogen resources using a play-based exploration approach, indicating a potential for source, trap and storage mechanisms. Areas where the timing of hydrogen generation in the subsurface combined with proximity of suitable reservoirs and geological seals may represent attractive exploration targets. Collection of new data or identification of hydrogen shows in the UK were outside the scope of this project. Distinguishing between two qualitative grades, the report assesses the UK’s geological terranes to indicate if there is ‘potential’ or ‘limited potential’ for natural hydrogen. Areas given a ‘potential’ grade are more likely to contain natural hydrogen, but as yet unproved, based on currently available data used in this desk-based study. It does not confirm an area of natural hydrogen or that a location merits future exploration, only that more detailed investigations are recommended. Areas given a ‘limited potential’ grade are less likely to contain natural hydrogen but could yet prove otherwise and should not be discounted without further investigation. The results presented in this study are subject to change as new data and research becomes available. The following geological terranes were given potential grade; the Scottish Hebridean and Northern Highlands terranes, the Northern Irish – Central Scotland Central Highlands (Grampian) and Midland Valley terranes, the Northern Wales / Northern England Monian terrane and the Southern England Normannian terrane (Figure ES1). Each terrane is overlain by a series of on and offshore basins but there is often a large time gap between potential generation and development of suitable reservoir and seals, which has implications for the likelihood of hydrogen accumulation in any significant volumes. To support this study, information has been collated on the current understanding of natural hydrogen systems, global occurrences and exploration methods. There is a significant lack of published data on natural hydrogen play-systems in the UK, with no current reports showing evidence of hydrogen seeps or accumulations from past drilling programmes. However, there is a vast amount of legacy data that might be relevant to natural hydrogen exploration but, it would require investment to integrate varied databases and datasets held by public bodies (including the British Geological Survey, the North Sea Transition Authority, and the Mining Remediation Authority) and other organisations, as well in peer-reviewed publications and other reports, some of which are commercially confidential. Our understanding on the relevance of this data is currently limited. More specific investigations are thus needed to fully explore the potential for natural hydrogen in the UK, including the collection of new data as well as the re-assessment of legacy geological, geophysical and geochemical data to screen specifically for prospective areas for hydrogen in the subsurface. The following recommendations are given to address these knowledge gaps and identify potential target areas for further research: • Identify, appraise and collate relevant legacy UK data to provide a baseline of existing knowledge and open access data. • Develop a hydrogen add-on element to current gas and water monitoring initiatives undertaken by the Mining Remediation Authority for Mine Water Heat and Gas Leakage Monitoring. • Establish a national-scale soil gas survey to identify seepage and potential hotspots of natural hydrogen, to better constrain subsurface sources. • Collect nationwide airborne geophysical (magnetic) survey data to aid understanding of subsurface composition and structure, helping to identify locations of potential sources and reservoirs. • Establish a laboratory programme to answer key questions about hydrogen play components, such as hydrogen generation reaction rates and volumes, effects of hydrogen on reservoir and seal rocks, and fluid flow through faults and fractures. • Conduct a nationwide study of present-day and palaeo-heat flow, integrated with the spatial distribution of sources to estimate the age, duration and rate of potential hydrogen generation across the UK. • Use of geological modelling to numerically describe the subsurface to help derisk exploration, identify potential targets and estimate accumulation volumes.

Item Type:	Publication - Report
Funders/Sponsors:	British Geological Survey, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Additional Information:	This item has been internally reviewed, but not externally peer-reviewed.
Date made live:	23 Jul 2025 09:00 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539907

Item Type:

Publication - Report

Funders/Sponsors:

British Geological Survey, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Additional Information:

This item has been internally reviewed, but not externally peer-reviewed.

Date made live:

23 Jul 2025 09:00 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539907