Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin are delving into the realm of natural catalysts to extract hydrogen gas from iron-rich rocks, heralding a potential breakthrough in the energy transition with minimal carbon emissions.
With a vision to pioneer a new era in hydrogen production, termed geologic hydrogen, the team is spearheading an innovative approach that could transform the current energy landscape significantly.
Toti Larson, a research associate professor at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences Bureau of Economic Geology and the principal investigator of the project, expressed the project’s essence by stating, “We’re producing hydrogen from rocks,” emphasizing the uncharted territory of generating hydrogen from iron-rich rocks on an industrial scale without reliance on fossil fuels.
Recently awarded a $1.7 million grant from the Department of Energy, the researchers are collaborating with counterparts from the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources to assess the viability of this methodology across diverse rock formations in the United States.
Hydrogen’s pivotal role in the energy transition stems from its clean combustion nature, yielding only water vapor without the harmful emissions associated with traditional fuel sources. However, the current hydrogen production methods predominantly entail generating hydrogen from natural gas, a process that leads to CO2 emissions.
Larson highlighted the implications of transitioning to geologic hydrogen sourced from iron-rich rocks, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize the energy sector due to its low-carbon footprint. His optimism was evident as he stated, “If we could replace hydrogen sourced from fossil fuels with hydrogen derived from iron-rich rocks, it would be a monumental achievement.”
The research team’s focus lies in leveraging natural catalysts to induce a geological phenomenon known as “serpentinization,” where hydrogen is released as a byproduct of reactions within iron-rich rocks. By employing catalysts containing elements like nickel and platinum group elements, the group aims to enhance hydrogen production at lower temperatures and accessible depths, thereby paving the way for a substantial increase in global hydrogen output.
Esti Ukar, a research associate professor at the Jackson School and a key collaborator on the project, shed light on the presence of natural geologic hydrogen reservoirs worldwide, albeit in limited quantities that lack economic viability. Ukar envisioned a transformative impact by stating, “If we could escalate hydrogen production from these rocks by expediting processes that naturally take millions of years, geologic hydrogen could truly revolutionize the energy landscape.”
In addition to this pioneering endeavor, Ukar is leading efforts on another energy transition project aimed at developing carbon-neutral mining techniques that integrate CO2 storage within mineral extraction practices.
Having achieved promising results at the laboratory scale, the team’s next phase, supported by a grant from the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), entails upscaling experiments to encompass a diverse array of iron-rich rock formations scattered across North America. The research will involve evaluating the catalytic potential on various rock types such as basalts from the Midcontinent Rift in Iowa, banded iron formations in Wyoming, and ultramafic rocks in the Midwest.
This project stands among several pivotal research initiatives at the Bureau of Economic Geology focused on unraveling the subsurface’s role in hydrogen generation and storage within the energy transition landscape.
