A new exclusive exploration permit for natural hydrogen and helium mining has been granted to TBH2 Aquitaine SAS in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. The permit covers an area of approximately 524 km² and has been granted for a period of five years, according to an official decree published in the *Journal officiel*. This is the second permit received by the company, which was previously awarded a 225 km² authorisation in December 2023 in the same region.
Expansion of operations in a favourable region
Founded in 2022, TBH2 Aquitaine justified the new application by pointing to the geological potential observed in the area. “We submitted a second permit application because the area is very favourable,” said Vincent Bordmann, the company’s founder, quoted by Agence France-Presse. He stated that the new perimeter would allow for additional exploration work, while research continues in the initial permit zone.
Operations under the first permit remain in the preliminary study phase. According to the company, subsurface imaging is being refined to determine the most strategic location for a future drilling site. No production schedule has been set yet, but initial drilling is not expected to begin for at least two more years, TBH2 Aquitaine indicated.
Growing interest in natural hydrogen
Also known as white hydrogen, natural hydrogen is found naturally in the Earth’s crust. Unlike so-called “grey” hydrogen, which is industrially produced by reforming natural gas and emits high levels of carbon dioxide, natural hydrogen requires no carbon-intensive chemical processing for extraction.
Interest in this form of hydrogen is growing due to its potential use in low-emission industrial and transport processes, provided that the technical and economic conditions for its extraction can be met. Currently, the majority of hydrogen consumed globally is still derived from fossil sources, despite diversification efforts toward “green” and “blue” alternatives.
An emerging regulatory framework
In France, the permit granted to TBH2 Aquitaine in December 2023 was the first of its kind. The issuance of a second permit to the same company one year later reflects the emergence of a regulatory framework around this resource, which remains largely unexploited commercially in Europe. The successive publication of these decrees highlights the State’s increasing interest in developing new energy sources within its territory.
Vincent Bordmann welcomed the authorities’ decision, stating the company was “very confident” and “very pleased with the trust placed in us.” The next steps will depend on the outcome of field campaigns, which aim to assess the technical and economic feasibility of potential development.
