A Looming Rare Earth Shortage Threatens Critical Tech
This title could be clearer and more informative.Try out Clickbait Shieldfor free (5 uses left this month).
Startups and researchers are racing to artificially produce hydrogen underground by fracturing iron-rich rocks with techniques like pulsed electrical power, heating, catalysts, and carbon dioxide injection. Massachusetts-based Eden GeoPower uses custom Marx generators (Zeus and Thor) to shoot high-voltage pulses that fracture hard rock and expose iron to water, triggering a hydrogen-releasing chemical reaction. ARPA-E awarded $20 million in 2024 to 16 teams pursuing similar stimulation approaches, but none have yet proven commercially viable production rates, with challenges including rapid decline in output, mineral clogging, and unresolved questions about purification, storage, and regulation.
