Researchers at the University of Sharjah have developed a new method to extract hydrogen fuel directly from seawater on an industrial scale. Their work, published in the journal Small, shows how to bypass the expensive desalination process altogether.
Lead author Dr Tanveer ul Haq from the Department of Chemistry explains that the innovation lies in a multi-layered electrode. This design tackles common issues like corrosion by creating a protective environment that boosts both performance and durability.
Hydrogen is emerging as a key clean energy source, and this approach offers a practical way to produce it without relying on pure water—a resource that can be scarce. If you’ve ever been concerned about water conservation in energy production, this development should catch your eye.
The researchers have engineered what they call a microenvironment‐engineered, multilayered electrode. This device reaches a current density of 1 A cm�b2 in real seawater with an overpotential of just 420 mV, and it operates steadily for more than 300 hours without forming hypochlorite. With a Faradaic efficiency of 98%, nearly all the electrical energy is converted into hydrogen gas.
Co-author Dr Yousef Haik points out that the technology holds particular promise for coastal and arid regions such as the UAE, where freshwater is limited but seawater and sunlight are ample. This could pave the way for scalable, desalination-free hydrogen production in areas where resources are tight.
The electrode’s design is robust enough to withstand harsh seawater conditions. A protective metaborate film prevents metal dissolution, while a carbonate layer acts as an electrostatic shield, ensuring the system can run continuously with no performance drop over long periods.
Looking ahead, Dr ul Haq envisions large-scale hydrogen plants along the UAE coastline. Using seawater and solar power, these plants could produce clean fuel with minimal environmental impact. The team is now preparing to move from lab-scale experiments to pilot-scale tests to assess the technology in real-world settings.
