Demonstrate sustained extraction of natural hydrogen at the required scale

Demonstrate whether natural hydrogen can be extracted sustainably at a rate sufficient to support the proposed long-duration electricity reserve, noting that sustained extraction at approximately 45–90 tonnes per day has not yet been demonstrated from any natural hydrogen deposit.

Background

The paper estimates that replacing the Future Circular Collider’s residual nuclear contribution over fifteen years would require roughly 45–90 tonnes of natural hydrogen per day, although the proposed application would be more limited and would concern only periods of prolonged renewable-energy scarcity. The feasibility of maintaining extraction at this scale remains unresolved because no natural hydrogen deposit has yet demonstrated sustained production at the required rate.