Why Farmers Should Be Excited About Geologic Hydrogen
Picture this: You’re checking your crops on a humid afternoon in August and unexpectedly greeted by a man who knows your name. At first, you think it’s a neighboring landowner who wants to talk about a cash rent agreement for next spring. Turns out, it’s a landman who has some unbelievable news to share…
Geologists believe that your farmland may be sitting on top of a massive reserve of geologic hydrogen—and they’re interested in making a deal.
Stories like this might seem like a mere daydream, but at Trigen we believe they can (and will) become reality for many landowners. If you’re a farmer, now is the time to learn about geologic hydrogen—and start getting excited.
3 Reasons to Be Excited About Geologic Hydrogen
You might be asking yourself, “Why haven’t I heard about geologic hydrogen before?” It’s a fair question, and one that the U.S. Geological Survey addressed in its helpful article on geologic hydrogen. Long story short, scientists are just now realizing that large amounts of hydrogen could exist underground.
“A recent study by the USGS estimates that there could be millions of Mt of natural hydrogen in accumulations in the Earth’s crust…even a small fraction of the estimated amount of subsurface hydrogen could potentially meet all global projected demand for hundreds of years.”
–Source: Geologic Hydrogen, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), January 16, 2025
Here’s why that’s very exciting for farmers like you:
1. Royalty Opportunities
Royalty payments on geologic hydrogen will likely resemble those of oil and gas—i.e., 1/8th of the revenue from production. Depending on the repository, that could mean millions of dollars in royalty payments for landowners and predictable income streams for their heirs. And, in many cases, minimal interruption to farming will be required, allowing farmers to keep using their land for agriculture.
2. Streamlining the Fertilizer Supply Chain
According to the Anhydrous Ammonia Supply Chain - Executive Summary from the EPA, “The majority of anhydrous ammonia manufactured in the U.S. is used in fertilizer production.” Hydrogen is one of the primary inputs of anhydrous ammonia (NH3) manufacturing , an energy-intensive process that involves removing sulfur from natural gas steam. Capturing hydrogen directly from the earth could streamline the NH3 supply chain and, in turn, lead to lower input cost for farmers.
3. Bolstering the US Energy Supply
Fertilizer production may be the first use case for geologic hydrogen, but the long-term outlook includes a much wider application—especially for our nation’s energy supply.
Hydrogen-powered combines, commercial vehicles, industrial equipment, and even automobiles could become a reality in the not-too-distant future. That means less reliance on foreign oil and more energy to move the United States forward.
Interactive Geologic Hydrogen Map
Interested in learning about geologic hydrogen? Check out the interactive Geologic Hydrogen Prospectivity Map from the USGS. Type in an address to see how your land stacks up (the darker the blue the better!)
Questions? Contact our team at Trigen.