Project description
Tapping the earth for clean hydrogen
Hydrogen is a clean fuel with water as its only by-product, but making it is often energy-intensive and carbon-heavy. What if nature could help? Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the FRIES project is exploring how hydrogen forms naturally deep underground through fluid-rock reactions like serpentinisation. Scientists are now asking: can we engineer these reactions closer to the surface? Focusing on rocks from the Isle of Skye and Shetland, the team is combining lab observations and modelling to unlock this potential. Intriguingly, the same rocks might also help capture CO2, offering a two-for-one climate solution. FRIES is not only chasing clean energy, but also probing the planet’s own chemistry to power the future, safely and sustainably.
Objective
Molecular hydrogen has already been demonstrated to be a viable source of clean fuel that is carbon-free, with water as the only byproduct when combusted. However, traditional methods of hydrogen production such as steam reforming are energy intensive and not viable as a mechanism for addressing demand on a global scale. Recent studies have demonstrated the occurrence of substantial amounts of molecular hydrogen produced naturally by fluid-rock interactions such as serpentinization, at a depth of few kms to several tens of kms in the Earth's subsurface and if these reserves were to be exploited, they would alleviate at least a substantial fraction of the demand for carbon-free fuel globally. Through the proposed research, we aim to integrate petrographic and microstructural observations from a suite of representative rocks from the Isle of Skye Volcanic Complex and the Shetland Ophiolites in the United Kingdom, with reactive transport and microstructural models to determine if fluid-rock interactions that produce hydrogen in the subsurface can be engineered to occur at near-surface conditions. Additionally, rocks which produce hydrogen are compositionally similar to rocks that have been used to sequester carbon dioxide and our proposed research aims to conduct an in-depth investigation into the potential coupling of these processes, to determine if hydrogen production and carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere can be engineered to run concurrently. Finally, we aim to assess any potential risks associated with hydrogen production from water-rock reactions, as these induce profound transformations in the physical properties (such as volume) of rocks, which may have the potential to generate natural disasters such as earthquakes. The results from our proposed project would have extremely important implications for the much-needed energy transition and demonstrate the viability of ongoing geological processes for generating carbon-free sources of fuel.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology seismology
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
L69 7ZX LIVERPOOL
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.