A new Oxford Martin research programme involving ECI’s Dr Samira Barzin will investigate whether hydrogen could be produced more cleanly and in more places by stimulating natural reactions underground.
Hydrogen is essential for making ammonia, which is used to produce fertiliser, but almost all hydrogen is currently produced using fossil fuels. This contributes to climate change and leaves fertiliser supplies vulnerable to changes in fossil fuel prices and international supply chains.
The Oxford Martin Programme on Geological Hydrogen will explore whether natural processes that produce hydrogen underground could be stimulated to produce hydrogen in more locations. The research will investigate where this could work, how much hydrogen could be produced and for how long, and whether it could help make fertiliser supplies more secure.
The interdisciplinary programme brings together researchers from across the University of Oxford. The project is led from the Department of Earth Sciences by Dr Claire Nichols and involves researchers from ECI and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.
The programme is one of four new research programmes announced today by the Oxford Martin School, each receiving £1 million in funding.
Find out more about the Oxford Martin Programme on Geological Hydrogen