The ocean, covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, holds vast untapped energy potential. Once overlooked, it now attracts scientists and engineers seeking sustainable energy solutions. A major breakthrough has recently been achieved, paving the way for large-scale marine hydrogen production, an exciting development in the field of clean energy.
The American company Equatic has developed a groundbreaking electrode capable of extracting hydrogen from seawater without producing toxic chlorine gas. This innovation, resulting from collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), could revolutionize global hydrogen production. The « Oxygen Selective Anodes » (OSA) developed by Equatic offer several advantages, including improved efficiency and safety for large-scale hydrogen production from seawater.
The electrodes developed by Equatic eliminate the need for pure water in hydrogen production, enabling the use of seawater, the planet’s most abundant water resource. They are recyclable and require catalyst renewal only every three years. This innovation could significantly impact the green economy and climate change efforts.
The process uses negatively charged cathodes and positively charged anodes to separate hydrogen and oxygen from seawater while leaving the salt intact, avoiding toxic chlorine gas production. This results in two distinct flows.
The new process developed by Equatic not only allows for clean hydrogen production but also captures atmospheric CO2, which reacts with the alkaline flow to form stable minerals. This innovative approach offers significant promise for both renewable energy and climate change mitigation. In addition to hydrogen, marine energy sources like waves and tides are also being explored by researchers as a complementary renewable energy solution.
Marine energy offers several advantages: it’s an abundant, predictable resource with low environmental impact, continuous energy production unlike solar and wind, and potential economic benefits for coastal regions. The combination of marine hydrogen with wave and tidal energy could provide a sustainable solution for meeting global energy demands. Equatic plans large-scale production of innovative electrodes, with real-world testing in Singapore and Quebec. This could help unlock the ocean’s untapped energy potential, revolutionizing clean energy production and climate change efforts.
Source: lenergeek
