Greenhouse house emissions have created a terrible impact on the environment and humans. To reduce and control the emission, researchers at UT are developing hydrogen from iron rocks which won’t release emissions.
To support the development of method Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has granted $1.7 million to the university. Moreover, for this project University of Texas at Austin is partnering up with the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources.
Hydrogen generation in the United States is mostly based on the burning of natural gas. It is also known as blue hydrogen production that leads to greenhouse gas emissions. However, the industry is shifting toward green hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. Researchers are currently looking into geologic hydrogen as a potential new source.
According to Esti Ukar, research associate professor at UT Austin “Natural accumulations of geologic hydrogen are being found all over the world, but in most cases they are small and not economical, although exploration continues.”
Professor Ukar also emphasized that the research will look into generating larger volumes of hydrogen from iron-rich rocks. Generally, it requires several million years to form naturally. The research is a first-of-its-kind effort to develop a process for producing geological hydrogen on an industrial scale.
Similar Researches
Similarly researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are studying serpentinization for hydrogen production. Their team is conducting accelerated underground experiments. They are hoping to gain insights into the chemical reactions responsible for natural hydrogen generation.
According to Eric Ellison research scientist at CU Boulder, “If we can accelerate these reactions underground, we can turn rocks into a clean and abundant energy resource.”
USGS Approach
A US Geological Survey (USGS) report from 2022 highlighted that naturally existing geologic hydrogen could potentially meet the global need for generations. Not just this, but it could also offer rapid replacements for carbon-emitting fossil fuels. However, access to these resources may be difficult due to their depth or offshore position.
Geoffrey Ellis, a USGS researcher stated “Using a conservative range of input values, the model predicts a mean volume of hydrogen that could supply the projected global hydrogen demand for thousands of years.”
The USGS researcher also stated, “We have to be very careful in interpreting this number, though. Based on what we know about the distribution of petroleum and other gases in the subsurface, most of this hydrogen is probably inaccessible.”
Ellis’s research indicates that a significant portion of the hydrogen supply is deeply buried or offshore to be economically viable for recovery. Additionally, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) concept of a long-term circular economy does not include extractive natural fuels.
Researchers at UT are developing hydrogen from iron rocks but according to NREL “Decarbonization of the US economy will require rapid deployment of clean energy technologies.”
The NREL also stated, “This will demand large amounts of materials—including scarce, critical materials. Ensuring these materials are available in the necessary quantities and at their highest value and function will necessitate a robust circular economy for energy materials.”
Source: Producing Hydrogen From Rocks Gains Steam as Scientists Advance New Methods