The search continues for natural sources of hydrogen that could potentially accelerate humanity toward a low-carbon energy future. As a fuel, it is incredibly clean, but most of today’s hydrogen is still produced using fossil fuels. Being able to tap into abundant natural reserves of hydrogen would solve that problem, and there are several geological processes that can generate it. One is when hot water hits the magnetite mineral found in iron ore. There is a lot of that iron ore underground across Western Australia, and researchers led by a team from Edith Cowan University in Australia wanted to assess how much hydrogen gas could exist there and be produced in the future. Fluid access to magnetite through fractures and permeable rocks is key to hydrogen formation, the researchers found. (Moghanirahimi et al., Int. J. Hydrog. Energy, 2026) The results of their study, published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, are promising and give scientists a better understanding of the geological factors that control the amount of hydrogen that magnetite can generate. “Australia could have a huge untapped energy reserve, and the potential is huge,” says chemical engineer Alireza Keshavarz of Edith Cowan University. “There is enough hydrogen for Australia to benefit from for generations, and potentially enough for us to become a major exporter of clean energy to the rest of the world.” The researchers tested magnetite in both powder form and plate form. (Moghanirahimi et al., Int. J. Hydrog. Energy, 2026) The researchers did not conduct any drilling for hydrogen here. Instead, they used laboratory experiments to test the reactions that occur when water and magnetite combine under high pressure, at temperatures of 200°C (392°F), for 60 days. That somewhat replicates underground conditions, and the researchers not only discovered that hydrogen gas was produced, but also established that the magnetite dust produced much more hydrogen per gram than the magnetite slab. This not only suggests that fractured, porous rocks with greater surface area could be the best places to search for hydrogen gas, but also offers clues as to how we might improve hydrogen generation. “Our findings show that hydrogen production depends not only on the amount of magnetite present, but also on the ease with which water can access fresh mineral surfaces through fractures, pores and permeable pathways,” says energy engineer Stefan Iglauer of Edith Cowan University. “This comparison and “characterization are important for two reasons,” the researchers write in their published paper. “First, hydrogen production data from slabs collected in the field directly represent the geological composition and geometry exposed to water in natural environments.” “Second, the interaction between rock surfaces and water during hydrogen generation alters surface characteristics, which has significant implications for rock integrity in gas geostorage applications.” The research has been published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. of our process, we are human. If you spot an error, please let us know.
