INRS releases reports revealing Quebec’s untapped natural hydrogen reserves

QUEBEC CITY — A research team at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has released six reports examining the potential of natural hydrogen as a clean energy source in Quebec. This work, overseen by Professor Jasmin Raymond and Adjunct Professor Stephan Séjourné, is funded by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE).

“Our work has enabled us to establish an initial overview of the situation in Quebec, the first of its kind in Canada. Our knowledge of natural hydrogen is constantly expanding, and I hope that these initial observations will encourage further scientific inquiry on the subject in Quebec,” Séjourné said.

Natural hydrogen, a carbon-free gas, is gaining attention as a possible alternative to traditional fossil fuels. Unlike green hydrogen, which is produced through renewable energy sources, natural hydrogen is found in the Earth’s crust. Some countries, such as France and Australia, are already adapting their regulatory frameworks to accommodate this resource.

“We need to assess whether there is a natural hydrogen resource in Quebec and whether it is renewable. Our work will lay a rigorous scientific foundation for determining whether natural hydrogen can be harnessed to contribute to the province’s energy transition and benefit Quebec society as a whole,” said Raymond.

The INRS team has documented the geological, geophysical, and geochemical knowledge of natural hydrogen, reviewing the scientific literature and relevant developments from other regions. Their findings include the presence of rocks in Quebec capable of naturally producing hydrogen, identified in both southern sedimentary basins and the northern Canadian Shield.

These reports follow on an initial study published last March in the journal Frontiers in Geochemistry. In it, the team showed that rocks capable of naturally producing hydrogen were present in various geological contexts in Quebec, both in sedimentary basins in the south of the province and in the Canadian Shield to the north.

“If Quebec wants to remain competitive in terms of energy and the economy, it’s important to address this issue now,” said Raymond.