Green hydrogen production technology developments

Researchers are advancing various methods to produce green hydrogen using waste materials and sunlight-driven processes.

In Brazil and South Africa, scientists have focused on utilizing industrial and agricultural waste. Brazilian researchers developed a nanomaterial from steel industry waste and seashells that generates hydrogen while degrading water pollutants when activated by sunlight. In South Africa, researchers identified a more efficient process for converting sugarcane waste, or bagasse, into hydrogen using sorption-enhanced chemical looping gasification, which reduces unwanted byproducts like tar.

Further developments include safer and more integrated manufacturing techniques. In South Korea, researchers created a water-based coating method for sunlight-powered hydrogen equipment, using low voltage and reducing the need for hazardous organic solvents. Additionally, the EU-funded FreeHydroCells project in Ireland developed a multicell system that integrates electricity generation and water splitting into a single, carbon-free system to produce hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight.