(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University chemist who studies the composition and structure of Planet Earth says companies searching for pools of hydrogen under Iowa’s surface have to answer a basic question. I-S-U professor Elizabeth Swanner says iron-rich rocks and hot groundwater produce a chemical reaction that releases hydrogen underground.
“Our understanding at the moment is that this reaction is a bit more favorable under high temperature conditions,” she says. “So the question is really how deep to we have to go or could we see it at lower temperatures in shallower rocks that might still produce enough hydrogen and what are the conditions that might drive that lower temperature production?”
About a half dozen companies have contacted the U-S Geological Survey for its mapping of what’s underground and a company called Koloma has drilled exploratory wells in Webster County. Extracting minerals from underground isn’t a big industry here, but Swanner says there’s great potential. “I’d like to see a network of folks from across different angles of geological hydrogen, whether that’s from exploration or building a geological hydrogen economy or workforce development or industry partnerships that could be really used to build this,” Swanner said, “and help to shape the future economy of Iowa.”
Swanner hosted a one-day workshop this spring to focus on hydrogen exploration and extraction. “My experience while I was preparing for more than a year for this workshop was that very few people knew this was on the radar,” Swanner said. “It was really an opportunity that I wanted to take to make sure folks around Iowa, beyond Iowa State University, but those that are connected to science and technology really knew what was going on and could kind of be ready for it.”
Swanner says she saw a lot of side conversations sparked by the presentations and what the possibilities of a hydrogen boom might be. Ammonia fertilizer is currently produced with hydrogen that’s generated by burning coal or natural gas, so that could be an immediate use for hydrogen extracted from underground, but Swanner says hydrogen could also be an alternative form of energy.
Swanner made her comments during a recent interview on Iowa Public Radio.
