The article discusses a new approach to finding hydrogen sources, which could potentially be hidden underground. Hydrogen is often hailed as a climate solution because when burned, it produces water and oxygen, with no carbon emissions. However, today’s hydrogen production is overwhelmingly fossil-fuel based, generally using natural gas. In recent years, there has been growing interest in geologic hydrogen, where naturally occurring hydrogen resources are found across various continents.
Companies like HyTerra and Koloma are prospecting for hydrogen in the Midcontinent Rift in the Midwest of North America, a region formed about a billion years ago when molten rock pushed up through a crack, resulting in iron-rich rock that can react with water to form hydrogen. Researchers have found promising signs of natural hydrogen production, such as boreholes releasing eight kilograms of hydrogen per year each.
Some companies are taking matters into their own hands by stimulating geologic hydrogen production. For example, Vema Hydrogen is drilling wells and injecting water and catalysts into subsurface rocks to kick-start the reaction process. Other companies like Eden GeoPower use electricity to form fracture networks in rocks, creating more routes for water to get in.
Despite these promising developments, there are still many unanswered questions regarding hydrogen production, storage, and transportation. If engineering and logistics work out, geologic hydrogen could spell a new beginning for this climate solution.