H2Au Kansas Hydrogen Project Selected for $1.5M U.S. DOE-Supported Research Program with National Laboratories
Kansas hydrogen project chosen as field site for major public-private research initiative designed to advance geologic hydrogen exploration and commercialisation
NEW YORK (September 22, 2026) – H2Au, a privately-owned natural hydrogen explorer (the "Company"), today announced that its Kansas hydrogen exploration project has been selected for a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-supported public-private research programme that will leverage US$1.5 million of government funding to advance natural hydrogen technologies, workflows and commercial assessment methodologies.
The initiative brings together H2Au, its joint venture partner 45-8 ENERGY, DOE’s National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) in a public-private collaboration focused on advancing geologic hydrogen exploration, appraisal and commercialisation.
H2Au's active Kansas drilling campaign will serve as a real-world testbed for validating scientific approaches and commercial assessment methods that could support future geologic hydrogen projects in the United States and internationally.
The award places H2Au among a small number of projects selected to participate in the initiative and reflects the significance of the company's Kansas exploration programme and the DOE’s recognition of natural hydrogen as an emerging energy resource for the U.S. economy
"This award is an important milestone for H2Au and for the natural hydrogen sector," said Owain Jackson, CEO of H2Au. "By combining H2Au's active drilling programme with the expertise of leading U.S. research institutions, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate our understanding of geologic hydrogen systems and the factors that underpin their commercial development. We are proud that our Kansas project has been selected for this initiative."
Researchers from NLR and INL will work alongside H2Au to evaluate the key technical and commercial factors that underpin successful geologic hydrogen development. Drawing on data and samples from H2Au's planned Kansas exploration wells, the team will assess subsurface characteristics, reservoir performance and production feasibility using expertise in geochemistry, reservoir modelling, subsurface imaging, microbiology and techno-economic evaluation. The objective is to determine how best to produce natural hydrogen at commercially sustainable rates, providing an independent assessment of its commercial development potential.
"NLR is excited to work alongside H2Au, INL and KGS on this initiative," said Xiaofei Pu, Principal Investigator at NLR. "Geologic hydrogen represents one of the most exciting opportunities in the energy sector. This programme provides a rare opportunity to evaluate an active hydrogen project and develop approaches that can support future hydrogen development."
The collaboration aims to establish a transferable, field-validated workflow for evaluating geologic hydrogen resources that can be applied across future projects in the United States and internationally. Findings are expected to contribute to the broader development of the geologic hydrogen sector while supporting H2Au's ongoing commercial activities.
The announcement comes as H2Au hosts its inaugural Natural Hydrogen Investor Forum in New York, taking a leading role in convening investors, industry leaders and media around the future development of natural hydrogen.
Media contact: info@h2au.co
About H2Au
Founded in 2022, H2Au is a privately-owned, UK-headquartered natural hydrogen exploration company. Combining proven exploration techniques with proprietary play-based geological models, H2Au identifies, leases and develops natural hydrogen resources with the goal of commercialising them as a low-cost, low-carbon energy source.
The Company holds an extensive portfolio of exclusive exploration licences across the United States and South Africa, and is currently drilling its first wells in Kansas as part of a joint venture with 45-8 ENERGY.
