France drills deeper into natural hydrogen

Natural hydrogen has taken a major step forward in Europe, as La Française de l’Énergie (FDE) begins drilling France’s first deep well dedicated entirely to naturally occurring hydrogen.

Located in Moselle, eastern France, the PTH-2 well is designed to reach depths of more than 3,000 metres, directly targeting underground hydrogen-bearing formations. The project builds on FDE’s 2023 discovery of high concentrations of dissolved natural hydrogen in the Lorraine basin and represents a world first for deep hydrogen exploration.

The drilling programme forms part of REGALOR II, a research and development initiative led by FDE alongside the University of Lorraine, CNRS, BRGM and Solexperts. Over the next three months, drilling will be followed by two years of measurement, analysis and interpretation, using a new generation of monitoring tools to better understand hydrogen concentrations, volumes and origins.

Backed by €8.8 million in public funding from the Grand Est Region and the European Union’s Fair Transition Fund, the project highlights growing confidence in natural hydrogen as a credible low-carbon energy source. 

For the hydrogen community, this project is a reminder that innovation is not limited to new technologies alone. Understanding what already exists beneath our feet could play an important role in shaping a more diverse, resilient hydrogen energy system.

Read more: La Française De L'Énergie Begins Drilling France’s First Deep Natural Hydrogen Well in Moselle With €8.8M in Funding