Because the world searches for low-emission power sources, researchers have recognized a doubtlessly essential supply of fresh power beneath Western Australia’s pink soil.
Beneath Western Australia’s Pilbara area, huge iron ore deposits include magnetite that will do greater than provide uncooked materials for trade. Analysis from Edith Cowan University (ECU) suggests the mineral may additionally assist generate naturally occurring hydrogen, a useful resource researchers say may ultimately contribute to Australia’s power provide and export trade.
Magnetite can produce hydrogen gasoline when it reacts with scorching water deep underground. ECU Faculty of Engineering researchers have additionally recognized a technique to stimulate that course of by injecting an answer into banded iron formations, doubtlessly rising the quantity of pure hydrogen that may very well be accessed.
“Australia may very well be sitting on a large, untapped power reserve – and the potential is big,” Affiliate Professor Alireza Keshavarz stated.
“There’s sufficient hydrogen for Australia to learn for generations, and doubtlessly sufficient for us to turn into a serious exporter of fresh power to the remainder of the world.”
Sizzling water recreated deep underground circumstances
To analyze whether or not the method may work beneath sensible subsurface circumstances, researchers positioned magnetite samples in water at 200°C and excessive stress for 60 days, recreating circumstances discovered deep beneath Earth’s floor.
The experiments supplied detailed proof about how pure hydrogen can type underground and what circumstances are wanted for manufacturing to proceed.
“Western Australia has a number of the world’s largest banded iron formations. If we will unlock this useful resource at scale, it may very well be transformative for our power future,” lead writer Kaveh Moghanirahimi stated.
“We even see the potential for Western Australia to strengthen its power independence throughout instances of disaster by means of entry to this naturally generated hydrogen.”
Water entry could management hydrogen manufacturing
Professor Stefan Iglauer, from ECU’s Faculty of Engineering, stated the outcomes carry laboratory analysis a step nearer to pure hydrogen exploration in actual geological settings.
“This work helps bridge the hole between laboratory experiments and actual geological techniques,” Professor Iglauer stated.
“Our findings present that hydrogen manufacturing relies upon not solely on the quantity of magnetite current, but in addition on how simply water can entry contemporary mineral surfaces by means of fractures, pores, and permeable pathways.”
Reference: “Geometry-driven controls on hydrothermal pure hydrogen era from magnetite mineral” by Kaveh Moghanirahimi, Lionel Esteban, Valeriya Shulakova, Muhammad Ali, Stefan Iglauer and Alireza Keshavarz, 24 February 2026, Worldwide Journal of Hydrogen Power.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.154187
The researchers acquired help from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Analysis Organisation (CSIRO) by means of a CSIRO PhD Scholarship, in addition to funding from the Australian Analysis Council beneath grant DP220102907.
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