Husker researchers assess hydrogen energy potential from ancient rift

Husker researchers assess hydrogen energy potential from ancient rift
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 17, 2024

Approximately 1.1 billion years ago, the North American continent almost divided, leaving a 1,200-mile stretch of volcanic rock called the Midcontinent Rift. Scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are investigating whether this geological feature could provide a significant source of natural hydrogen, potentially fueling large-scale clean energy production.

The rift, extending from beneath Lake Superior through states including Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas, is being studied for hydrogen accessibility. Researchers aim to understand how to efficiently tap into this hydrogen resource.

Hydrogen presents a promising alternative to fossil fuels, as it generates no carbon emissions. Unlike oil and gas, which form over millions of years from organic materials, hydrogen is continuously produced when water interacts with volcanic rock.

However, much remains to be understood
"Our understanding of processes governing the production, migration, and accumulation of evasive natural hydrogen in the continental deep subsurface is still in its infancy," said Seunghee Kim, Charles J. Vranek Associate Professor of civil engineering and a principal investigator on the project.

To evaluate the feasibility of hydrogen extraction, a test well was drilled in Nebraska five years ago. Initial results suggest that the rift's geomechanical and biogeochemical conditions may help retain hydrogen, potentially allowing for economically significant quantities to be accessed in the subsurface.

The Midcontinent Rift lies at a depth of 3,000 to 5,000 feet underground
"It could be deep enough to be stored but shallow enough that we can access it," said Karrie Weber, professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences and biological sciences, who is also involved in the project. "The geology is in our favor."

Estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey suggest that Earth's crust could hold tens of millions to tens of billions of megatons of hydrogen. However, much of it is located too deep, far offshore, or in concentrations too sparse for practical extraction. This makes locations like the Midcontinent Rift especially valuable. Similar geological formations in France, Germany, Russia, and Africa might also harbor hydrogen, Kim noted.

Globally, there may be enough accessible hydrogen in the Earth's crust to meet energy needs for thousands of years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Nebraska team will address questions regarding hydrogen's movement from underground to the surface, potential storage options, interactions with existing fluids and minerals, and the impact of microbial activity on hydrogen consumption.

Kim approaches these challenges from a civil engineering angle, while co-investigators Weber and Hyun-Seob Song focus on biogeochemical and microbiological factors.

"This has not been well-studied so far," said Song, associate professor of biological systems engineering and food science and technology. "We aim to predict the microbiomes' behavior at this subsurface level."

Song will create computational models to analyze the data collected by Weber
The study is supported by a $1 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Advanced by Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (RAISE) initiative. It is one of 19 projects receiving funding this year.

The project builds on prior research financed by the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research.

Weber emphasized the university's contribution to advancing "the hydrogen economy," which refers to hydrogen's potential in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and serving as a sustainable energy source.