GeoKiln Signs MOU with RAKEA to Advance Subsurface Hydrogen Pilot in UAE
GeoKiln Energy Innovation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ras Al Khaimah Energy Authority (RAKEA) to evaluate the development of subsurface hydrogen resources in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The agreement outlines a framework for technical collaboration, including subsurface data analysis, geological assessment, and the design of a potential field pilot.
The work will focus on applying GeoKiln’s Manufactured Subsurface Hydrogen (MSSH™) approach, which uses controlled subsurface heating to stimulate hydrogen generation directly within geological formations. The objective of the initial phase is to assess local geological conditions, refine stimulation parameters, and determine whether the system can be effectively deployed under field conditions.
RAKEA will support the program by providing access to subsurface datasets and facilitating local coordination, while GeoKiln will contribute its engineering workflows and operational expertise. The collaboration reflects a shift from modelling and laboratory work toward in-field validation, which remains a key step for emerging hydrogen production concepts.
GeoKiln’s approach builds on established thermal and reservoir engineering techniques used in the oil and gas sector, adapting them to drive hydrogen generation in situ. By leveraging existing infrastructure and industrial capabilities, the company is aiming to reduce development timelines and capital requirements compared to more conventional hydrogen production pathways.
The MOU also provides a potential pathway for GeoKiln to secure preferred commercial rights across an area of up to 100 km², subject to the outcome of technical studies and pilot activities.
More broadly, the project highlights growing interest in alternative hydrogen production methods that combine subsurface engineering with geological systems.
Full press release is attached below:
HOUSTON, May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GeoKiln Energy Innovation, a U.S.-based clean technology company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ras Al Khaimah Energy Authority (RAKEA) to explore and advance the development of subsurface hydrogen resources in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
This agreement marks a significant step in GeoKiln’s technology demonstration and scale up, bringing its proprietary Manufactured Subsurface Hydrogen (MSSH™) technology to the Middle East. Under the MOU, GeoKiln and RAKEA will collaborate on technical studies, subsurface data analysis, and the design of a potential pilot program aimed at validating hydrogen production in the field. The work will center around assessing geological conditions, optimizing stimulation parameters, and defining a pathway toward future commercial development.
As part of the collaboration, RAKEA will provide access to relevant subsurface data and support local coordination, while GeoKiln will deploy its advanced subsurface heating technology, engineering workflows, and operational expertise to evaluate and execute pilot activities.
GeoKiln’s approach builds on decades of subsurface thermal experience, applying proven industrial techniques in a new way to unlock a scalable, low-carbon energy source directly from the Earth. By leveraging existing infrastructure and supply chains, the approach has the potential to reduce both capital intensity and time-to-deployment relative to conventional hydrogen pathways.
GeoKiln is part of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program, a highly selective global initiative that supports early-stage ideas and technologies with the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at scale.
“This is a defining moment for GeoKiln as we bring our technology into a region with exceptional geological potential and a clear vision for the future of energy,” said Dr. Alexei Tcherniak, CEO and Co-Founder of GeoKiln Energy Innovation. “Our approach builds on decades of subsurface thermal and reservoir experience— technologies that have been proven at scale in oil and gas— and applies them in a new way to manufacture hydrogen directly in the subsurface.”
“This collaboration allows us to move from advanced subsurface modeling and engineering design into real-world validation in a setting that has the potential to support large-scale deployment. We are opening a fundamentally new pathway to hydrogen production, one that leverages geology, engineering, and existing industrial capabilities to create a scalable and economically viable solution.”
The MOU establishes a framework for GeoKiln to evaluate one of the Middle East’s most prospective geologic hydrogen regions, including a potential pathway toward preferred commercial rights across up to 100 km² in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. As global demand for reliable, low-cost, and low-carbon energy continues to grow, GeoKiln is well positioned at the forefront of a new category of hydrogen production – one that turns the subsurface into a scalable manufacturing system.
About GeoKiln Energy Innovation
GeoKiln Energy Innovation is a Houston-based clean technology company developing Manufactured Subsurface Hydrogen (MSSH™), a novel approach to producing hydrogen by stimulating natural geologic processes underground. By combining subsurface heat, geology, and existing industrial capabilities, GeoKiln is creating a scalable, low-cost pathway to hydrogen production. The company is part of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program and is focused on deploying its technology globally to support the energy transition.
For more information, contact:
