Indonesia Discovers New Clean Energy Source That Could Replace Fossil Fuels.
The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has revealed the discovery of a new clean energy source in Central Sulawesi. The energy source in question is natural hydrogen.
Key Points:
- The eternal flame at Tanjung Api and the hot springs in the One Pute area have been found to contain natural hydrogen gas, with concentrations around 20-35% and 8.5% respectively.
- The existence of natural hydrogen could represent a significant step towards achieving a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.
Edy , the Head of the Geological Survey Center at the Geological Agency, stated that they have identified the potential of natural hydrogen in Central Sulawesi, which boasts the widest distribution of ultramafic rocks in Indonesia.
According to him, in 2023, the Geological Agency conducted preliminary surveys in the One Pute Jaya area, Morowali Regency, and Tanjung Api, Tojo Una-Una Regency, Central Sulawesi to identify the presence of natural hydrogen potential.
The survey results were not only surprising but also promising for the future of clean energy. "No one expected that the eternal flame of Tanjung Api, noted by the Dutch in 1869 (previously named 'Kaap Api'), and the hot springs commonly visited by tourists would reveal evidence of natural hydrogen appearing on the surface," Edy revealed on Friday (28/6/2024).
Indeed, the eternal flame at Tanjung Api and the hot springs in the One Pute area have been proven to contain natural hydrogen gas, approximately +- 20-35% and +- 8.5% respectively.
The gas bubbles appearing beneath the sea surface and in the pools of hot springs are hydrogen gas originating from the serpentinization process that occurs beneath the Earth's surface.
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"It is estimated that the emergence of this hydrogen gas is related to the Balantak Fault and Matano Fault, which serve as pathways for gas migration to the surface. This phenomenon causes hydrogen gas to emerge at Tanjung Api and alongside the One Pute hot springs," explained Edy.
He elaborated that the stories of the eternal flame at Tanjung Api and the One Pute hot springs remind us of Indonesia's natural wealth, not only in the form of petroleum, natural gas, and minerals but also as a source of clean energy that could be a game-changer in addressing climate change.
Hydrogen fuel is a revolutionary fuel currently gaining global attention due to its potential to provide clean energy without producing greenhouse gas emissions that harm the environment.
However, conventional hydrogen production is often expensive and requires significant energy consumption. Besides manufacturing processes, hydrogen can also be naturally formed through geological processes.
"For a long time, natural hydrogen was thought not to accumulate in nature. However, the discovery of natural hydrogen accumulation in Bourekebogou, Mali, refutes this assumption. This has spurred a race to discover geologically accumulated hydrogen in various parts of the world," he clarified.
Edy explained that natural hydrogen can be produced by several geological processes, one of which is serpentinization. This process occurs due to the reaction of ultramafic rocks with water at specific temperatures and pressures to produce serpentine minerals and hydrogen gas.
"These ultramafic rocks are part of ophiolites, which are ancient oceanic crusts uplifted to the surface due to tectonic processes millions of years ago. Extensive ophiolite distributions in Indonesia are found in South Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Halmahera, and Papua," he elaborated.
The presence of natural hydrogen could be a milestone in realizing a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. Indonesia's potential for natural hydrogen sources is significant because, in addition to being formed by serpentinization processes, natural hydrogen can also be formed due to radiolysis processes in rocks containing radioactive elements, high organic material maturity (overmature), and magma degassing at geothermal fields.
He emphasized that these are preliminary survey results. Further surveys are needed to fully understand the potential and opportunities for utilizing natural hydrogen.
