China has achieved a significant technological advancement in producing hydrogen from seawater by utilizing electricity generated from renewable marine energy sources.
CenerTech, a subsidiary of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), announced on Friday that its megawatt-class seawater electrolysis pilot facility has successfully completed its trial run, producing hydrogen with a purity of 99.999 percent.
The facility, with a rated output of 200 standard cubic meters of hydrogen per hour, integrates essential operations like current processing, seawater electrolysis, and hydrogen purification within five compact containers, making it suitable for offshore platforms.
Designed to handle the fluctuating nature of offshore wind and solar energy, the facility offers an efficient way to utilize renewable energy resources on-site, according to the company.
Seawater, an abundant resource, is ideal for hydrogen production. The process of seawater electrolysis transforms unstable green electricity into green hydrogen, which is easier to store and transport. However, the complex composition of seawater presents challenges like catalyst degradation and unwanted side reactions.
CenerTech’s advanced equipment eliminates the need for seawater desalination, reducing costs and ensuring stable, long-term hydrogen production directly from seawater.
Li Zhichuan, a wind power engineer at CenerTech, stated that future applications of direct seawater electrolysis will combine with renewable energy technologies, such as offshore wind power, to enable the localized consumption of electricity from remote sea regions.
This breakthrough follows a factory-scale research project completed earlier this week by Sinopec, another state-owned oil refiner, which achieved an hourly output of 20 cubic meters of green hydrogen through seawater electrolysis.
Related Posts
