Hydrogen, widely recognized as the most abundant element in the universe, is often thought to mainly exist in compounds with other elements, such as in water alongside oxygen or with carbon in methane. However, the discovery of naturally occurring underground pockets of pure hydrogen is challenging this perception, and igniting interest as a potentially boundless source of carbon-free energy.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy invested $20 million in research grants aimed at harnessing this innovative energy source. Eighteen teams from various laboratories, universities, and private companies have received funding to pioneer technologies that could transform subsurface hydrogen into cost-effective and clean fuel options.
Known as geologic hydrogen, this resource is formed when water interacts with iron-rich rocks, causing the iron to oxidize. Among the recipients of the $1.3 million grant is Iwnetim Abate, an assistant professor at MIT. His research group plans to explore optimal conditions for underground hydrogen production, evaluating variables like catalysts, temperature, pressure, and pH levels. The objective is to enhance production efficiency to satisfy global energy demands at a competitive cost.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that billions of tons of geologic hydrogen could be hidden within the Earth’s crust. Discoveries of natural hydrogen accumulations have been made around the globe, prompting numerous startups to seek extractable deposits. Abate is committed to accelerating natural hydrogen production, employing “proactive” strategies to stimulate and gather this valuable gas.
Innovation on the Horizon
The rising interest in geologic hydrogen is occurring concurrently with global efforts to find sustainable energy alternatives to oil and gas. In December, French President Emmanuel Macron announced government funding to investigate natural hydrogen. In February, U.S. lawmakers were briefed by both governmental and private sector stakeholders on the prospects of hydrogen extraction from underground sources.
At present, commercial hydrogen is produced at around $2 per kilogram, predominantly for use in fertilizers and chemical processing, but current production methods largely rely on fossil fuels, resulting in carbon emissions. On the other hand, “green hydrogen,” which is produced using renewable energy sources, can cost up to $7 per kilogram.
“If hydrogen could be secured at a dollar per kilogram, it would become competitive with natural gas,” explains Douglas Wicks, a program director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), which leads the geologic hydrogen grant initiative. Recipient organizations of the ARPA-E grants include esteemed institutions like the Colorado School of Mines, Texas Tech University, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, as well as private enterprise Koloma, a hydrogen startup backed by significant investors including Amazon and Bill Gates. These projects vary widely, from applying conventional oil and gas techniques for hydrogen extraction to developing models that demystify hydrogen formation in rock formations. The aim is to address inquiries about a largely unexplored field of energy.
Unlocking Potential
“In the realm of geologic hydrogen, we are still unveiling the mysteries; we need to discover how to accelerate its production, which is a chemical process, and devise safe extraction methods,” Wicks notes. “We plan to collaborate with experts across various disciplines to tackle these challenges effectively.”
Geochemist Viacheslav Zgonnik, recognized as a leading authority in natural hydrogen, acknowledges the extensive unknowns in this field and the long path ahead towards commercializing hydrogen projects. However, he expresses optimism about initiatives aimed at stimulating hydrogen production through the natural reaction between water and rock, stating it presents “tremendous potential.”
“The goal is to manipulate this reaction to produce hydrogen on demand in targeted areas,” says Zgonnik, CEO and founder of Natural Hydrogen Energy, a Denver-based startup focused on exploratory drilling for natural hydrogen. “Achieving this could greatly lessen our reliance on fossil fuels.”
A Personal Journey
For Iwnetim Abate, there is a profound personal connection to this project. Growing up in his hometown in Ethiopia, he experienced frequent power outages, often relying on flickering candles or polluting kerosene lamps to study at night. “Our household depended on wood and charcoal for cooking and other tasks,” Abate reflects, a reality that persisted until he left for college in the U.S.
In a remarkable turn of events, well-diggers in Mali uncovered natural hydrogen in 1987, leading to an explosion. Years later, entrepreneur Aliou Diallo tapped into this resource, utilizing hydrogen to produce electricity for nearby villages, thus founding Hydroma, the world’s first hydrogen exploration enterprise. “What was once viewed as an energy-deficient continent is now a beacon of hope in the search for sustainable energy solutions,” Abate says, connecting his own narrative to this global energy challenge and solution.
Scaling Experiments for Impact
Abate and his team are diligently working on a method to induce the chemical reaction necessary for hydrogen production from underground rocks. Their primary ingredient is water, complemented by “simple” catalysts that enhance the reaction speed to yield greater amounts of hydrogen, explains postdoctoral researcher Yifan Gao.
“Many catalysts on the market today are expensive and complex to produce. Our goal is to identify inexpensive and abundant catalysts to boost production while keeping costs manageable,” Gao states.
The iron-rich rocks that facilitate hydrogen production can be found globally, and Abate’s team is committed to optimizing the extraction process across varying geological and environmental contexts. They are creating a high-throughput system that incorporates artificial intelligence and robotics to evaluate different catalyst combinations and simulate the reactions under diverse conditions like temperature and pressure.
“This system will allow us to measure hydrogen output for each scenario,” Abate explains. “AI will aid in refining our approach by recommending specific catalyst compositions based on previous results and established literature.”
Currently, the team is drafting a research paper, with plans to publish their discoveries soon. Once they finalize their catalyst development, they will shift their focus to designing a reactor capable of optimizing production conditions, which will also inform the design of an industrial-scale reactor for in-field hydrogen production.
“Our vision is to construct a plant-scale reactor that can be embedded within the Earth’s subsurface,” Abate adds.
The multidisciplinary nature of this project benefits from collaboration, with contributions from Yang Shao-Horn, of MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Esteban Gazel, a geologist from Cornell University, both lending their expertise to help navigate this intricate energy landscape.
For Douglas Wicks at ARPA-E, the work initiated by Abate and the other grant recipients serves as a critical first step into a largely untapped energy sector. “If we can learn to stimulate these geological formations to generate hydrogen safely, we have the potential to unlock an immense energy resource,” he concludes. The emerging hydrogen industry can also benefit from the existing oil and gas sectors’ expertise in drilling, piping, and gas extraction techniques. “The technology we are developing will help us determine whether substantial hydrogen resources exist.”
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
