Seawater unleashed!
A few years ago I began an involvement with Project sHYp, looking at offshore hydrogen production without de-salination. The concept has progressed with Scottish government seed funding and the opening of an office in Aberdeen, a key player in the ScotWind floating wind and hydrogen UK ramp up.
Here's news of progress stateside, again looking at seawater hydrogen production
In a significant breakthrough, American scientists have pioneered a revolutionary “seawater electrolyzer” that eliminates the need for freshwater in green hydrogen production. Seawater, abundant and rich in hydrogen, oxygen, and sodium, has long been regarded as a potential fuel source. However, extracting hydrogen from seawater has remained an elusive challenge.
Now, researchers from the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, in collaboration with Stanford University, Oregon State University, and the University of Manchester in the UK, have successfully developed a device capable of safely extracting hydrogen from seawater.
The cutting-edge device operates by channeling seawater through a dual-membrane filtration system, resulting in the creation of a substance akin to seawater fuel. Notably, the research team has also demonstrated the device’s capability to extract hydrogen from seawater using electricity, effectively isolating hydrogen while separating other elements. This groundbreaking development holds immense promise for driving the production of low-carbon fuels.
Traditionally, freshwater or desalinated water was required for hydrogen production, with seawater desalination systems often being expensive and energy-intensive. Moreover, the process involved complex equipment. However, this innovative seawater electrolyzer, developed by the research team, obviates the need for additional components and costly purification system
