Eden Awarded $1.4M in ARPA-E Funds to Develop Geologic Hydrogen Technology

Eden 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 supporting the generation of geologic hydrogen. The projects are 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”.

The funding is part of the $20 million ARPA-E Geologic Hydrogen program, which focuses on subsidizing new technologies that stimulate generation of hydrogen in the subsurface, with an emphasis on minimizing costs and reducing environmental footprint. Eden will develop novel stimulated geologic hydrogen technologies to boost production from iron-rich formations, as well as solutions for long-term electrical energy storage in geological formations.

“We are excited to be developing Eden's unique capability to convert electrical energy into hydrogen using geological formations,” said Dr. Vikas Agrawal, Principal Investigator on the project, and Senior Geochemist at Eden. “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.”

Model predictions reveal that the global geologic hydrogen potential exceeds millions of megatons (Mt), capable of meeting the projected hydrogen demand for the coming centuries. The concept of “stimulated” hydrogen, where new hydrogen can be produced by circulating fluids through suitable geological formations, presents a solution that may expand the market size beyond conventional natural hydrogen deposits.

An approach to enhancing permeability in geologic hydrogen reservoirs is through Eden’s electrical reservoir stimulation (ERS) technology. This technology makes it possible to optimize reservoir conditions, improve hydrogen generation reactions, and enhance recovery rates to boost overall efficiency. Eden’s introduction of the “geobattery” concept expands its core ERS technology, offering novel pathways for long-term energy storage and systematic utilization.

"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," said Dr. Ammar Alali, Principal Investigator and Co-Founder and President of Eden. "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."

The Samail Ophiolite project in Oman will have Eden work with Dr. Alexis Templeton’s research group at the University of Colorado-Boulder to experimentally demonstrate how peridotite rocks respond to ERS to produce significant enhancements in reactive surface area and water permeation. The collaboration will also increase the local temperature to promote reactions conditions suitable for the production of carbon-free hydrogen.

“Eden’s patented Electric Reservoir Stimulation technology can significantly increase the production rate of hydrogen from geologic resources,” said Dr. Paris Smalls, CEO and Co-Founder of Eden. “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.”

In the second project concerning geologic hydrogen battery storage, Eden will take advantage of the reversible chemical reactions of iron in common iron-rich geologic formations for reliable long-duration energy storage. Eden will utilize excess grid energy to reduce spent iron into usable iron for multiple cycles of carbon-free hydrogen production.