China pioneers seawater electrolysis to produce green hydrogen
China has demonstrated the production of renewable hydrogen without desalinating seawater at its Xinghua Bay offshore wind farm, located in Fujian Province.
PHOTO: Floating hydrogen production platform, Dongfu One, used to produce renewable hydrogen via seawater electrolysis. CGTN
China’s state-owned Dongfang Electric and Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Xie Heping spearheaded the project, which includes building a floating hydrogen production platform, Dongfu One.
“Its successful test validates the feasibility and stability of direct seawater electrolysis technology in a real ocean environment,” said Dongfang Electric.
Production of zero-emission hydrogen, or green hydrogen, usually relies on freshwater. Seawater, on the other hand, contains high concentrations of salt and other compounds that can corrode electrolysers and reduce catalyst efficiency. This can reduce the overall efficiency of the electrolysis process. Desalination can also be prohibitively expensive, increasing the overall cost of hydrogen production.
The method used in this project, however, “can separate the influence of more than 90 complex elements and microorganisms in seawater, breaking the common methods for hydrogen production,” according to the Chinese state media outlet CGTN citing Xie Heping.
Breakthrough for maritime applications
Seawater electrolysis of hydrogen is an important development because it would allow for green hydrogen production in large quantities, without the need to invest in additional infrastructure for desalination.
Additionally, offshore hydrogen production eliminates the need for large-scale infrastructure on land and makes it possible to produce hydrogen in areas where renewable energy is abundant but not easily accessible.
Taking advantage of this technology might enable the large-scale production of green hydrogen, which can then enable producing low- and zero-emission marine fuels like ammonia and methanol in large quantities.
By Konica Bhatt
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