Massachusetts Startup Uses High-Voltage Pulses to Fracture Rock for Underground Hydrogen Production

Eden GeoPower, a Massachusetts-based startup, is conducting field tests of its electrical reservoir stimulation technology on a horse farm, using electrodes lowered into boreholes to deliver high-voltage pulses that generate tiny plasma channels and shock waves within hard rock. The process, which previously increased rock permeability by a factor of ten in a Colorado abandoned mine, seeks to open enough pathways for water to contact iron-rich minerals that naturally produce hydrogen.

Laboratory experiments showed up to four times more hydrogen from fractured samples, but scaling the reaction to a cost-effective level will require sustained production and additional factors such as catalysts. The trial involves roughly 100 pulses to reach about 10 metres depth, with labor costs potentially outweighing electricity consumption. Open questions include hydrogen capture, storage, environmental impact, and regulatory compliance. If successful, the approach could transform ordinary subsurface rock into a distributed hydrogen source, offering a novel clean-energy pathway.