In Australia, RMIT University said that a group of researchers from the university have developed a cheaper and more energy-efficient way to make hydrogen directly from seawater. The new method from RMIT University researchers splits the seawater directly into hydrogen and oxygen – skipping the need for desalination and its associated cost, energy consumption and carbon emissions. “We know hydrogen has immense potential as a clean energy source, particularly for the many industries that can’t easily switch over to be powered by renewables,” said lead researcher Nasir Mahmood, a vice-chancellor’s senior research fellow at RMIT, said. “But to be truly sustainable, the hydrogen we use must be 100% carbon-free across the entire production life cycle and must not cut into the world’s precious freshwater reserves. Our method to produce hydrogen straight from seawater is simple, scalable and far more cost-effective than any green hydrogen approach currently in the market.” “With further development, we hope this could advance the establishment of a thriving green hydrogen industry in Australia,” he added. The researchers at RMIT are currently working with industry partners to develop aspects of this technology. The next stage in the research is the development of a prototype electrolyzer that combines a series of catalysts to produce large quantities of hydrogen.
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