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.
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.
Swanner hosted a one-day workshop this spring to focus on hydrogen exploration and extraction.
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.
