The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers affiliated with the Prairie Research Institute have been awarded funding from bp-International Centre for Advanced Materials to conduct investigations into subsurface hydrogen storage. This two-year project, led by Donna Caraway Willette and Roman Makhnenko, aims to test the suitability and reservoir performance of caprock types for effective subsurface hydrogen storage. The project is crucial as hydrogen is considered a low-carbon energy source with applications in transportation, manufacturing, chemical processing, and power generation. The research focuses on characterizing the interaction between hydrogen and caprocks with various mineral compositions to expand storage options. This work includes assessing the integrity of caprock as a critical factor in economic and safe underground storage of hydrogen. The project also aims to explore storage reservoir options such as depleted oil and gas fields, brine aquifers, and engineered bedded-salt caverns. The research builds on previous efforts by the ISGS Subsurface Energy Resources Section, which has been involved in exploring safe carbon storage, carbon-neutral to carbon-negative oil production, and energy storage. This project contributes to reducing uncertainty in the development of subsurface energy resources and supports the transition to net zero by effectively applying advanced materials.