Australia could be sitting on massive green hydrogen reserve, scientists say
Australia may hold the key to generating ample green energy while creating a major export industry — and it’s buried underneath its feet.
The breakthrough centers on magnetite, a mineral found in Western Australia’s vast iron ore deposits throughout the Pilbara region.
Researchers at Edith Cowan University’s School of Engineering have discovered that when magnetite reacts with hot water deep underground, it can generate hydrogen gas — one of the few proven green energies that can power heavy machinery like jets, ships and trains.
While hydrogen can be created through electrolysis, if that process is powered by fossil fuels it cannot be called zero-emission. If powered by renewables it can be, but scaling remains costly due to power requirements.
The ECU team found a way to stimulate hydrogen production by injecting a solution into banded iron formations, significantly increasing the potential to harness the resource.”Australia could be sitting on a massive, untapped energy reserve, and the potential is enormous,” said Associate Professor Alireza Keshavarz. “There is enough hydrogen for Australia to benefit for generations, and potentially enough for us to become a major exporter of clean energy to the rest of the world.”
To test the theory, researchers exposed magnetite samples to water at 200°C under high-pressure conditions for 60 days, replicating the environment deep beneath Australia’s red deserts.”Western Australia has some of the world’s largest banded iron formations. If we can unlock this resource at scale, it could be transformative for our energy future,” said lead author Kaveh Moghanirahimi.
“We even see the potential for Western Australia to strengthen its energy independence during times of crisis.”Professor Stefan Iglauer said the study moves the science closer to real-world exploration.”This work helps bridge the gap between laboratory experiments and real geological systems. Our findings show that hydrogen production depends not only on the amount of magnetite present, but also on how easily water can access fresh mineral surfaces through fractures, pores and permeable pathways,” he said.
The experiment saw a 1.5-gram sample of banded iron slab compared with 200 milligrams of magnetite powder. Due to its porosity, the powder produced five times more hydrogen by weight than the slab.
The amount was minimal — just one 50th the content of an average raindrop — but researchers say scale would make up for minimal gas generation, given the continent-sized deposit.
The research was published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
