Beneath Western Australia’s iron-rich landscapes, ordinary looking rocks may have a unique ability to produce hydrogen. A new study published in the ‘ International Journal of Hydrogen Energy ’ has found that magnetite, an iron oxide found in many ancient rocks, can generate natural hydrogen when it reacts with water under hot, high-pressure conditions. The research focuses on a question that ‘does the physical shape of the rock affect how much hydrogen it can produce.’ The answer appears to be yes. In controlled experiments, finely powdered magnetite produced about 5 times more hydrogen than intact slabs of the same material. The finding does not prove that a huge underground fuel supply is ready to be extracted, but it shows why the structure, surface area and pathways through hydrogen-bearing rocks could be crucial to understanding this energy source.
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