French Firms Viridien & Mantle8 Team Up to Accelerate EMEA Hydrogen Exploration
French tech company Viridien and geoscience firm Mantle8 have joined forces to accelerate the search for hydrogen reserves in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The partnership aims to test and optimize technology for locating active hydrogen deposits, with Mantle8 gaining access to Viridien's geological database, GeoVerse, to identify promising zones.
The collaboration comes after Mantle8 raised 3.4 million euros in seed funding from Kiko Ventures and Breakthrough Energy Europe. Mantle8 uses Sercel's WiNG DFU-3C sensors, provided by Viridien, to map underground hydrogen sources and reduce drilling risks. The company recently confirmed one of the highest recorded hydrogen concentrations at its Comminges prospect in the French Pyrenees using its proprietary exploration technology.
The partnership aims to build on the success of similar initiatives worldwide. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has published systematic maps of potential geological hydrogen reserves in the USA. Australia, an international leader in identifying hydrogen resources, has also started projects for geological exploration of natural hydrogen.
With Russia adopting a roadmap for developing the hydrogen economy and focusing on natural reserves, the strategic partnership between Viridien and Mantle8 is well-timed. The companies aim to facilitate tests and optimizations of technology for locating active hydrogen reserves in the EMEA region, contributing to the global effort towards achieving net-zero goals.
