Guhlen II project
Helium “Made in Brandenburg“!
Bibliographical research and field measurements have been carried out in the past, demonstrating significant helium potential in the area known as “Guhlen II”.
In June 2023, 45-8 ENERGY applied for an exploration license from the regional mining authority, the LBGR, which is currently being processed. It concerns an area of 641km² in the Land of Brandenburg, south-east of Berlin, in Germany. The aim of the application is to deepen our geological knowledge of the area and confirm its helium potential.
The license application has been submitted for a period of 5 years in order to acquire the data required to confirm the accumulation of a helium-rich gas mix.
The Guhlen II project is a supply opportunity for eastern Germany. At a time when 100% of the helium consumed in Germany is imported from outside Western Europe, from the United States, Qatar, Algeria or Russia, at great energy cost and with a high carbon impact, it is becoming essential to produce as close as possible to where it is consumed. As part of the quest for territorial sovereignty, the Guhlen II project makes it possible to consider local helium production, which is necessary for the surrounding industries that have high demand.
Beyond the Guhlen II zone, 45-8 ENERGY is convinced of the potential of this particular geological region, where high levels of helium have been widely reported in the past but never produced to any significant extent due to a lack of use at the time.
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The Guhlen area
The Guhlen II exploration license covers an area of 641km² in Brandenburg, south-east of Berlin.
The requested perimeter is voluntarily large, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the geology of the area, and then to target high-potential zones more precisely as acquisitions are made.
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The gas discovery
Drilling and testing conducted by the previous operator has demonstrated and delineated a nitrogen-rich gas accumulation associated with helium and a natural gas fraction. 45-8 ENERGY therefore intends to develop an innovative helium and local blue hydrogen production facility.
Its extreme rarity on Earth and its unique properties make it a highly sought-after and vital resource for many industries.
The extraction and purification of helium from the Guhlen II project would represent a major production of helium in Germany, enabling a local supply of a strategic resource that is currently 100% imported from abroad and subject to regular shortages.
> More about helium
Helium
Guhlen II gas is composed mainly of nitrogen, the most abundant element in the Earth's atmosphere (about 78% of its composition).
Because of the abundance of nitrogen in the air, its attractiveness is limited and its economic use unlikely. Its release into the atmosphere does not represent any risk for people (inert, odorless, invisible) or the environment (does not contribute to the greenhouse effect and is already present in high concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere).
Nitrogen
The limited fraction of natural gas in the Guhlen II field is seen as an innovation opportunity for 45-8 ENERGY. We plan to produce hydrogen on site using a steam methane reforming process.
The carbon dioxide generated by this process will be captured and purified to supply local industries (breweries, cryogenics, firefighting), another tight markets that currently imports the resource over long distances.
This approach is a real answer to the challenges of hydrogen supply in Europe, contributing to the energy and ecological transition.
Methane
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The work program
The work planned by 45-8 ENERGY has two objectives.
Confirm the helium production potential of the existing discovery and to implement a first production unit.
Evaluate the exploration potential within the perimeter of the license in order to consider carrying out additional exploration drilling.
The aim is to develop a project that reconciles industrial activities with the protection of the environment and residents. This fact has the highest priority for 45-8 ENERGY in all its actions.
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The key steps
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A local and strategic project
In addition to Guhlen II, the 45-8 ENERGY project represents a means of securing the local supply of helium for an entire region of Germany, which is currently in high demand and subject to recurring risks of shortages.
The Guhlen II production project is part of the company’s drive to value the most of all the resources present in the subsurface. 45-8 ENERGY has already established a commercial plan to secure outlets for each resource, namely helium, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.