Eden (a leader in sustainable natural resource recovery) announced that it has been selected to receive $1.4 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) for two projects titled “Electric-based Mechanical and Thermal Stimulation to Increase Geologic Hydrogen Reaction Rates in the Samail Ophiolite in Oman” and “Engineered Geologic Hydrogen Battery for Long-Term Energy Storage.”
This funding is part of the $20 million ARPA-E Geologic Hydrogen program, which prioritizes funding new technologies that stimulate hydrogen generation in the subsurface, emphasizing minimizing costs and reducing environmental footprint. And Eden will develop novel stimulated geologic hydrogen technologies to boost production from iron-rich formations like peridotites and develop game-changing solutions for long-term electrical energy storage in geological formations.
The model predictions reveal that the global geologic hydrogen potential exceeds millions of megatons (Mt), and only a portion of it can meet the projected hydrogen demand for centuries. And this offers promising opportunities for sustainable energy production and reduced carbon emissions.
But challenges exist, particularly concerning lack of permeability within geological formations, which can hinder efficient hydrogen production and extraction. Addressing these challenges is crucial to accessing clean hydrogen resources.
The concept of “stimulated” hydrogen – where new hydrogen can be produced by circulating fluids through suitable geological formations – presents a compelling solution, potentially expanding the market size beyond what will be possible from conventional “natural hydrogen” deposits.
One innovative approach for enhancing permeability in geologic hydrogen reservoirs is through Eden’s ground-breaking Electrical Reservoir Stimulation (ERS) technology. Utilizing this technology makes it possible to optimize reservoir conditions, improve hydrogen generation reactions, and enhance recovery rates, thus bolstering overall efficiency.
Eden’s ERS technology holds promise for stimulating hydrogen and enhancing the recovery rate of conventional natural hydrogen. Eden’s recent introduction of the “Geobattery” concept represents a significant expansion of their core ERS technology, offering novel avenues for long-term energy storage and systematic utilization, further advancing the landscape of sustainable energy solutions.
For the first project – titled “Electric-based Mechanical and Thermal Stimulation to Increase Geologic Hydrogen Reaction Rates in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman” – Eden will work with Dr. Alexis Templeton’s research group at the University of Colorado Boulder to demonstrate how peridotite rock types respond to electrical reservoir stimulation to produce significant enhancements in reactive surface area and water permeation while also increasing the local temperature to promote reaction conditions suitable for the production of carbon-free hydrogen.
For the second project, titled “Engineered Geologic Hydrogen Battery for Long-Term Energy Storage,” Eden will take advantage of the reversible chemical reactions of iron in common iron-rich geologic formations for reliable long-duration energy storage by utilizing excess grid energy to reduce spent iron into usable iron for multiple cycles of carbon-free hydrogen production.
KEY QUOTES:
“Eden’s patented Electric Reservoir Stimulation technology can significantly increase the production rate of hydrogen from geologic resources. This new support from ARPA-E builds upon our current efforts to develop geologic hydrogen in Oman, and new deeper relationships with research groups and universities will significantly support our mission to enable commercial-scale production of geologic hydrogen globally.”
- Dr. Paris Smalls, CEO and Co-Founder of Eden
“The Samail Ophiolite is recognized as the largest onshore ophiolite outcrop in the world. We possess the capability to showcase hydrogen production from these rocks, alongside the feasibility of enhancing production rates through Eden’s proprietary ERS technology. This initiative is a continuation of our recent agreement with the Oman Ministry of Energy and Minerals, signed at the end of last year. It represents a foundational step towards the desktop study, ERS demonstration, and development of geological hydrogen resources in Oman, as outlined in the agreement.”
- Dr. Ammar Alali, the project’s lead Principal Investigator and Co-Founder and President of Eden
“The application of Eden’s ERS technology to create fracture networks in peridotite rocks and optimize reaction conditions suitable for hydrogen production will be essential to develop a ‘stimulated geological hydrogen’ industry that can supply abundant clean hydrogen resources.”
- Dr. Alexis Templeton, co-Investigator on the project, Head Geochemist at Eden, and Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.
“We are excited to be developing Eden’s unique capability to convert electrical energy into hydrogen using geological formations. This technology would enable long-term energy storage, enhance energy security, and reduce carbon emissions by producing carbon-free hydrogen. Achieving such a feat is solely possible through Eden’s ERS solution, marking a significant advancement in sustainable energy technology.”
- Dr. Vikas Agrawal, lead Principal Investigator on the project, and Senior Geochemist at Eden
