Geologic Hydrogen Production Potential from Uganda’s Ultramafic Formations: Experimental Characterisation, Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Reactive Transport Modelling

Geologic hydrogen is emerging as a promising low-carbon energy resource, yet its generation, storage, and recovery from ultramafic rocks remain poorly constrained in many African geological settings. This project proposes a novel, locally adapted framework for investigating geologic hydrogen generation from Uganda's ultramafic formations by integrating laboratory experiments, thermodynamic and kinetic analysis, and reactive transport modeling. The research will focus on the potential for hydrogen generation through water-rock reactions, particularly the oxidation of ferrous iron during serpentinization and related mineral transformation processes. Representative ultramafic rock samples will be collected from accessible Ugandan geological formations and characterized using available mineralogical and geochemical techniques. Locally fabricated experimental components will be explored to reduce dependence on expensive commercial high-pressure reactors. Parameters like temperature, water-to-rock ratio, particle size, reaction time, pH, and mineral composition will be systematically varied to establish their influence on hydrogen generation.