As the world searches for sources of low-emission energy, researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) have uncovered a potential clean energy game-changer beneath Western Australia's red soil. The new study has revealed a way to generate naturally occurring hydrogen that ECU experts say could help power Australia's future—and create a major export industry.

The breakthrough centers on magnetite, a mineral found in Western Australia's vast iron ore deposits throughout the Pilbara region. ECU School of Engineering researchers have discovered that when magnetite reacts with hot water deep underground, it can generate hydrogen gas.

The team has found a way to stimulate hydrogen production by injecting a solution into banded iron formations, significantly increasing the potential to harness this naturally occurring resource. "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."