Australia's Iron-Rich Red Soil May Hide a Massive Natural Hydrogen Source Beneath the Pilbara

Researchers at Edith Cowan University have discovered that Western Australia's vast magnetite deposits can naturally generate hydrogen gas when reacted with hot water under deep-Earth conditions — and the process can be stimulated to produce even more. If scalable, the Pilbara's banded iron formations could become a major new source of clean energy and a hydrogen export industry for Australia.

Key Takeaways

Researchers at Edith Cowan University have discovered that Western Australia's vast magnetite deposits can naturally generate hydrogen gas when reacted with hot water under deep-Earth conditions — and the process can be stimulated to produce even more.
If scalable, the Pilbara's banded iron formations could become a major new source of clean energy and a hydrogen export industry for Australia.

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Western Australia's iconic red soil may sit atop one of the world's largest untapped clean energy reserves, according to new research from Edith Cowan University published August 29 in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

The study found that magnetite — an iron mineral abundant in the Pilbara region's vast banded iron formations — can naturally generate hydrogen gas when it reacts with hot water under conditions mimicking those deep below the Earth's surface. Crucially, the researchers also demonstrated that the process can be stimulated by injecting solutions into the rock, raising the possibility of deliberately boosting underground hydrogen production.

"Australia could be sitting on a massive, untapped energy reserve — and the potential is enormous," said Associate Professor Alireza Keshavarz. "There is enough hydrogen for Australia to benefit for generations, and potentially enough for us to become a major exporter of clean energy to the rest of the world."

The team placed magnetite samples in water at 200°C under high pressure for 60 days to recreate deep underground conditions. They found that hydrogen production depends not only on the amount of magnetite present, but critically on the rock's structure — whether water can move through fractures, pores, and permeable pathways to reach fresh mineral surfaces.

"Our findings show that hydrogen production depends not only on the amount of magnetite present, but also on how easily water can access fresh mineral surfaces through fractures, pores and permeable pathways," said Professor Stefan Iglauer.

The discovery is especially significant for Western Australia, which contains some of the world's largest banded iron formations. If the process can be scaled from laboratory to field conditions, it could transform the region's energy future and establish a new clean hydrogen export industry.