Belgium is searching for ‘white gold’ beneath its soil: “A game-changer”
The country is to spend millions on exploring its subsoil after the discovery of a huge reserve of the energy resource in France.
Belgium has decided to explore its own territory in search of white hydrogen. The government will allocate €3.5 million ($4 million) to map the country’s subsurface after the recent discovery of this resource in neighboring France. On Tuesday, the company La Française de l’Énergie announced the presence of a deposit with an estimated potential of 34 million tons just across the Belgian border.
Belgium’s minister of mobility and ecological transition, Jean‑Luc Crucke, has already given the green light for the exploratory work. While urging caution, he acknowledged the enormous potential this energy source could have for industry. “If all of this is confirmed, it’s a game-changer,” he said.
A clean, far cheaper fuel
Unlike green, gray, or pink hydrogen, white (or geological) hydrogen occurs naturally underground. Because it doesn’t require an industrial process to produce it, companies can extract it directly from the earth, significantly reducing production costs.
If its extraction proves viable, this gas could become the most effective option for cutting emissions in the most carbon‑intensive sectors. It can be used directly as fuel in steelworks, cement plants, chemical facilities, and heavy transport. It also serves as an ideal feedstock for producing fertilizers or refining petroleum.
Two years of exploration backed by European funds
Belgium’s plan begins with an initial survey expected to take two to three years, during which the country will map all of its potential reserves. After that, it will move into a second phase aimed at pinpointing the largest deposits and determining whether extraction would be economically feasible.
To finance the project, the government will rely on revenue generated through the European Union’s carbon emissions trading system - money paid by industrial and energy companies for the pollution they emit. Belgium is also seeking additional EU funding and has already opened the door to collaborating with France, Germany, and Luxembourg on the excavation efforts to help strengthen the region’s energy autonomy.
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