French energy company FDE Française de l'Energie plans to start exploratory drilling this year to confirm the extent of what could be the world's largest hydrogen discovery and assess its commercial potential.

FDE made a surprising discovery in 2022 while exploring for methane at Folschviller near the German border. Samples taken at a depth of around 1 250 metres showed high concentrations of natural, geological hydrogen. The soil may contain up to 46 million tonnes of geological hydrogen and the discovery is estimated to be worth around
€83 billion.

The estimate is based on an assumed market price for hydrogen of around $2,000 per tonne. As geological hydrogen is not yet widely commercially exploited, determining the true value is still a challenge.

The aim of the new drilling is to gain a better understanding of how hydrogen is formed and how significant the deposit really is.

The first results are expected in early 2026.
If the scale and exploitability of the discovery is confirmed, it could have a significant impact on the energy market. It would be by far the largest known geological hydrogen deposit in the world.

The energy company FDE estimates that exploitation of the hydrogen could start in three years at the earliest. However, plans are still preliminary. Source.