European energy coalition calls for €1B natural hydrogen exploration programme

A coalition of more than 30 European energy organisations, including investment firms World Fund, Wind Capital, and Natural Hydrogen Ventures, has published an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging the EU to support natural hydrogen exploration and warning that Europe risks falling behind as the US, Australia and other regions move ahead.

Initiated by natural hydrogen exploration company Mantle8, the letter calls for clearer EU regulations and a proposed €1 billion exploration programme to support around 50 wells across at least 10 Member States.

The letter was presented at European Hydrogen Week in Brussels on 28 October, with Mantle8 CEO Emmanuel Masini and European Commission representatives participating in a ceremonial handover. An official dispatch to the relevant Commission director-generals and commissioners is planned for the following week.

The initiative comes as the European Commission prepares its renewed EU Hydrogen Strategy, with a call for evidence launched on 26 October explicitly referencing natural hydrogen as an emerging source for research and innovation.

Europe risks falling behind in natural hydrogen exploration

Founded in 2019, Mantle8 is developing methods to identify naturally occurring hydrogen before drilling. While natural hydrogen discoveries have historically been largely accidental, the company uses geological analysis and advanced subsurface data processing to identify active hydrogen-generating reactions and locations where the resource could accumulate in commercially viable volumes.

Backed by investors including Sandwater, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BPI, IP Group, Wind Capital and Calderion, Mantle8 is testing its methods across a growing portfolio of field projects to demonstrate that natural hydrogen can be discovered systematically and repeatedly.

Emmanuel Masini, Founder and CEO of Mantle8, said:

“We initiated this letter because Europe needs to give natural hydrogen a fair opportunity to be explored. The industry has the scientific expertise and technological capabilities to investigate the resource, but progress depends on having the right regulatory conditions in place.

Clear rules, predictable permitting and investment in exploration would allow us to establish where natural hydrogen can be found, whether it can be recovered commercially and what role it could play in Europe's energy future.”

From geological potential to commercial viability

Natural hydrogen is generated by geological processes beneath the Earth's surface and can accumulate in underground reservoirs.

Unlike hydrogen produced using electricity or fossil fuels, it occurs naturally underground and could provide a source of primary energy, subject to successful exploration, extraction and processing.

However, the sector remains at an early stage, with further fieldwork needed to establish the scale, productivity and economic viability of potential resources.

Although the European Commission has begun investigating natural hydrogen through initiatives including the EU-funded H2-QUEST research project and a DG GROW pilot study, exploration companies continue to face uncertainty over regulatory status, permitting requirements and access to geological data.

The coalition argues that these barriers complicate investment decisions and risk leaving Europe behind other regions moving towards systematic exploration.

Four priorities to unlock natural hydrogen exploration

The open letter calls on the European Commission to explicitly recognise natural hydrogen in the 2026 Energy Union package and the forthcoming revision of the EU Hydrogen Strategy, alongside a proposed European Natural Hydrogen Initiative built around four priorities:

• Clear regulatory recognition: Establish a technology-neutral policy framework for natural hydrogen, including eligibility for relevant EU certification and support where applicable emissions-saving criteria are met.
• Exploration funding: Establish a €1 billion funding envelope to support around 50 exploration and appraisal wells across at least 10 Member States, helping attract additional public and private investment.
• Predictable permitting: Encourage Member States to introduce transparent permitting procedures with defined timelines, giving companies greater certainty when planning exploration projects.
• Access to geological data: Improve access to publicly funded subsurface information and develop a European natural hydrogen atlas to guide exploration and strengthen geological understanding.

The proposed funding would cover geological assessment, drilling, flow testing and pilot production, alongside technologies needed to process and transport any viable resource. The aim is to reduce early-stage exploration risk and establish whether commercially recoverable deposits exist, rather than assume their viability.

According to Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, the EU has an opportunity to shape the development of natural hydrogen from the outset, ensuring that its potential is assessed within a coherent European framework.

“This means establishing a common policy approach, improving access to geological data and giving exploration projects a clearer route through permitting.

A coordinated European effort would help build the evidence base needed to determine where natural hydrogen can make a meaningful contribution to Europe's energy mix.”

For Mantle8, clearer European rules would enable exploration companies to test their technologies, attract investment and determine whether natural hydrogen can become a commercially viable energy source.

The coalition argues that the EU does not need to commit to natural hydrogen as part of its future energy mix before its potential is proven. Instead, it needs to establish the regulatory conditions, geological data access and investment framework necessary to make that assessment.

Confirmed signatories include:

• Hydrogen Europe,
• Cleantech for Europe,
• France Hydrogène,
• Earth2,
• BEV,
• Calderion,
• Natural Hydrogen Ventures,
• NaturalHy,
• World Fund,
• Wind Capital,
• KIKO, Sandwater,
• La Française de l’Énergie (FDE),
• 45-8 Energy,
• Storengy,
• Teréga,
• H2Site,
• CVA Group,
• Technip Energies,
• Smart Seismic Solutions (S³),
• AXENS,
• Geolinks,
• Vallourec,
• thyssengas,
• IPGP,
• UPPA (Isabelle Moretti),
• CERTH,
• IFPEN,
• the European Federation of Geologists (EFG),
• Hyreveal and
• Mantle8.