German researchers using seawater and brackish water as hydrogen feedstock
In Germany, seawater and brackish water could serve as alternative water sources for hydrogen production. The challenge is that conventional electrolyzers require high-purity water that needs extensive treatment. In the SeaEly project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM investigated how suitable seawater and brackish water are for hydrogen production and what testing and evaluation infrastructure is needed.
The direct use of seawater or brackish water is particularly promising for coastal and offshore applications. Converting electricity from wind turbines directly into hydrogen creates a storable and transportable energy carrier that can then be used as a chemical feedstock, for energy supply or for the production of ammonia and synthetic fuels. Coordinated by Fraunhofer IWES, the joint research project SeaEly inves-tigated the direct electrolysis of seawater and brackish water to produce hydrogen and oxygen from October 2022 through March 2026 as part of the Hydrogen Republic of Germany ideas competition. In addition to Fraunhofer IWES and Fraunhofer IFAM, participants included Technische Universität Berlin, Whitecell Eisenhuth GmbH & Co. KG and the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
Category: Research
