Four Networks for Geologic Hydrogen Storage

Every year, large amounts of renewable energy are wasted because they are produced at times of low demand. Some of the excess energy could be stored by splitting water into hydrogen, a flexible fuel and useful chemical. But where can hydrogen be stored at scales large enough to impact the carbon footprint of our society?

Underground porous rock formations may be able to store and return hydrogen. Natural gas reservoirs have trapped gas for millions of years. Storage in depleted gas reservoirs may also provide new economic opportunities to communities depending on fossil fuel extraction.

It is unclear, however, whether hydrogen can be stored in rocks and retrieved without economic losses. Addressing these issues is challenging because, beside the safety concerns, hydrogen can interact with minerals and microbes in ways that alter its usability and resale value. The social and economic impacts of a hydrogen economy are also unknown.

Here, the team leverages expertise worldwide to investigate the scientific, environmental, community, and economic implications of underground hydrogen storage. They carry out state-of-the-art experiments to unveil the chemical and biological transformations of hydrogen while stored within rocks. The goal is to identify the best natural reservoirs.

They design a full-scale experiment where storage of hydrogen can be tested in the field. They analyze the socioeconomic implications of transiting to a hydrogen economy. They assess the opportunities and risks associated with the emerging green hydrogen industry while informing interested communities.

Such an assessment is critical to unlock a growing supply of clean energy and distribute it to the public. This project also trains the future green hydrogen workforce. It provides support and training for 1 postdoctoral associate, and graduate and undergraduate students notably from underrepresented groups in science.

More specifically, the project is organized around 4 tasks. Task 1 uses experimental metagenomics and geochemical methods to understand chemical and biological hydrogen losses. This task outcome is a thermodynamic biogeochemical model to predict the fate of hydrogen in any candidate reservoir.

Task 2 uses US and international experts to design a field study of hydrogen storage to test predictions of storage performance. This task's goal is to generate and publish an open research proposal for a field study that can be used in any country considering the transition to hydrogen economy. Task 3 studies and contrasts plans and activities for the regional development of hydrogen hubs in the Netherlands and California.

An essential goal here is to inform communities on how to assess and constructively respond to opportunities and threats associated with the emerging green hydrogen industry. Task 4 establishes new international opportunities for undergraduate education and training with a focus on the diverse science, technology, environmental and economic issues around hydrogen.

This task seeks to recruit a diverse body of STEM students into Earth science fields and train them to work skillfully and collaboratively across disciplinary, social, and international boundaries.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.