I recently revisited the cult movie “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013). The main character is a man who is given a death sentence by the system. The doctors give him 30 days to live, the bureaucracy suggests he accept it, and the pharmaceutical companies sternly point out, “Here’s the only right way, and everything else is dangerous delusions.”
But he doesn’t accept this verdict. He challenges the system. He does not believe in official dogma, he tests new methods, looking for alternatives. And the result? He lives not 30 days, but 7 years.
And here I catch myself thinking: isn’t the same thing happening with natural hydrogen right now?
WHEN THE SYSTEM CLENCHES ITS TEETH AND WON’T LET GO
In Europe, officials love to talk about supporting innovation and startups. They love the words “flexibility”, “ecosystem”, “sustainable development”.
But when it comes to business, they turn into the same bureaucrats as in the movie – clinging with their teeth to old dogmas and won’t let go.
You want to produce natural hydrogen?
– “No regulatory framework.”
– “There’s not enough research”
– “Let’s have a conference discussion first”
Do you want to drill a well?
– “Oh, can we strategize on hydrogen regulation first?”
– “Let’s take a couple more years for working groups?”
– “Support for startups? Yes, yes, yes, of course, we have a €50,000 grant.”
They’re not going to help startups overcome administrative and legislative barriers. They’re not even going to listen to the arguments. They just want to maintain the usual picture of the world where green hydrogen is the only real alternative and everything else is fantasy and nonsense.
But the truth is this: the laws of physics do not obey bureaucracy. Natural hydrogen exists in nature. It is released in the Earth’s crust, it can be mined, and it can change the energy balance.
But try to explain this to those who have already allocated budgets and written strategies for 20 years ahead.
BIG OIL VS BIG PHARMA – CORPORATE INTERESTS ARE THE SAME EVERYWHERE
In the movie, the protagonist’s main enemy is Big Pharma, which doesn’t just control the drug market, but purposefully blocks all alternative therapies. Why? Because controlling the market is more important than human lives.
In the energy sector, the same role has gone to Big Oil. They can talk about “green transition”, about “decarbonization”, about “new energy sources” – but don’t be fooled. Their primary concern is protecting their assets and market position.
They won’t invest in natural hydrogen until they realize it threatens their interests.
They will not aid scientific research until they have complete control over the process.
They won’t admit the obvious as long as they can stall and make money on “transitional” technologies.
Just as Big Pharma protected its billions in the movie, Big Oil is protecting its control of energy.
INVESTORS WHO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
Now for the money. We hear in the news all the time:
“A natural hydrogen exploration startup has raised $4 million!”
“The company has received a $5 million research grant!”
AND HERE’S THE BIG QUESTION: WHAT CAN YOU REALLY INVEST WITH THAT MUCH MONEY ?
– Statistically, it took oil and gas companies about 500 wells to discover a giant oil or gas field.
– To understand how natural hydrogen behaves in the Earth’s crust, we need real drilling, not PowerPoint presentations, YouTube cartoons and loud claims of increased leases – especially when there is no funding for the drilling itself.
– Commercial discovery requires hundreds of millions in initial capital, not office and marketing costs.
Instead of a massive drilling program, we have piecemeal experiments and press releases.
Instead of concrete numbers and data, we have interviews with pretty promises.
Instead of real steps forward, we have endless discussions and working groups.
DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT A NATURAL HYDROGEN EXPLORATION STRATEGY WILL REQUIRE DIFFERENT FUNDING LEVELS FOR COMMERCIAL DISCOVERIES THAN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY?
How long will natural hydrogen exploration last if self-deception continues?
In the movie, the doctors gave the main character 30 days.
He didn’t believe it. He started experimenting, looking for alternative solutions, trying different techniques.
Bottom line? He lived seven years.
And how long will natural hydrogen exploration live on this fodder?
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Energy News. This content is presented as the author’s analysis based on available information at the time of writing. It should not be considered as representative of Energy News or its editorial stance. Readers are encouraged to consider this as one perspective among many and to form their own opinions based on multiple sources.
