Australia’s red soil may be hiding a massive clean energy source

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August 29, 2026, 10:05 AM

• •The work focuses on magnetite, which is abundant in Pilbara banded iron formations.
• •Researchers simulated deep underground conditions with hot water at 200°C and high pressure over 60 days.
• •The team reports that injecting a solution into banded iron formations increased hydrogen generation in experiments.
• •The study says hydrogen output depends on rock geometry and water access through fractures, pores and permeable pathways.
• •The research was published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

Researchers at Edith Cowan University report that magnetite in Western Australia's Pilbara iron formations can generate hydrogen when it reacts with hot water under deep underground conditions. In lab experiments, the team heated magnetite samples in water to 200°C under high pressure for 60 days and found conditions that support ongoing hydrogen production. They also say injecting a solution into banded iron formations increased hydrogen generation, suggesting the process might be enhanced underground. The study argues that rock structure, including fractures and permeability that let water reach fresh mineral surfaces, is as important as magnetite abundance in determining hydrogen output.

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