A new review published in Nature Reviews Clean Technology outlines a breakthrough roadmap for scaling up decoupled water electrolysis (DWE) technologies to enable industrial-scale green hydrogen production. This development could play a pivotal role in the global shift away from fossil fuels.

Green hydrogen, produced through water electrolysis powered by renewable energy is emerging as a cleaner alternative to conventional hydrogen, which is derived primarily from fossil fuels and contributes significantly to carbon emissions. However, traditional electrolysis methods remain expensive, energy-intensive and are often incompatible with fluctuating energy supplies from solar and wind sources.

DWE presents a viable alternative. Unlike conventional systems that rely on membranes to separate hydrogen and oxygen, DWE decouples the generation of these gases in time or space. It employs redox materials capable of storing and releasing ions to produce hydrogen or oxygen separately, thus eliminating the need for costly membranes and reducing internal gas leakage.

The review, authored by a team of international experts, offers the first detailed analysis of DWE scale-up strategies. It compares various approaches and identifies key technical parameters that must be addressed to transition from laboratory-scale demonstrations to industrial systems capable of producing thousands of kilograms of hydrogen per day.

Currently, most lab-scale DWE setups yield only grams of hydrogen daily, while industrial demand requires production at the ton scale. Addressing this gap, the review highlights how redox-based energy buffering can stabilize intermittent renewable power sources such as wind and solar, making DWE systems uniquely suited for integration with clean energy grids.

Contributions from leading institutions and companies such as the University of Glasgow, Technion, the Technical University of Denmark, Fraunhofer ISE, H2Pro and Clyde Hydrogen Systems have advanced DWE’s potential. Their work spans innovations in electrode materials, electrolyzer design and redox chemistry that could drive cost reductions and improve operational efficiency.

The hydrogen market, currently valued at approximately $250 billion is poised for major expansion. With scalable and cost-effective DWE systems, green hydrogen could play a significant role across heavy industry, long-haul transportation and energy storage. Projections suggest the green hydrogen market could more than double within a decade, reaching an estimated $550 billion.

By addressing the core technical and economic challenges of conventional electrolysis, DWE stands out as a promising technology for achieving sustainable, large-scale green hydrogen production aligned with global climate goals.

Source:

Technologies and prospects for decoupled and membraneless water electrolysis

Decoupled electrolysis method paves way for industrial-scale green hydrogen production