Rocks in some parts of the UK have the potential to produce natural hydrogen, but it remains unclear whether the gas is present in economically viable quantities
By James Dinneen
19 June 2025
The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall contains rocks that could generate hydrogen gas
pio3/Shutterstock
In recent years, the discovery of small amounts of hydrogen gas underground has spurred a worldwide search for what could prove to be a significant new source of zero-carbon fuel, but so far, prospectors have largely skipped the UK.
According to a briefing on natural hydrogen produced by the Royal Society, that isn’t due to its geology. “There are rocks that certainly would fit within having the potential to produce hydrogen, but the investigations haven’t been done,” says Barbara Sherwood Lollar at the University of Toronto in Canada, who led work on the report.
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It also isn’t down to lack of interest in the gas. The UK’s latest hydrogen strategy says that when produced via low-carbon methods, it “has a critical role in helping to achieve our Clean Energy Superpower Mission”, including as a source of power for heavy industry and transportation and in long-duration energy storage. Natural hydrogen, however, isn’t mentioned as a potential source.
Novelty is one reason for this, says Philip Ball at Keele University, UK, who contributed to the report and is an investor in natural hydrogen companies. “Nobody is paying attention, basically. No one is regulating this new subject. No one understands it.”
That could be starting to change. Ball says several companies have purchased rights to explore for hydrogen in parts of the UK, for instance in Devon in the south-west, while relevant research is going on at several universities. The British Geological Survey is also working on a more detailed study of the potential for natural hydrogen in the UK. The country’s rich history of geological study means there is plenty of data to draw on.