A transporter with hydrogen leaves the “Energie Park Mainz”. Here is a plant that converts electricity from wind energy into hydrogen with the help of electrolysis.
Image: dpa
Green hydrogen should play a decisive role on the way to climate neutrality. A pilot plant obtains the energy source from the humidity in the air by means of electrolysis. That could improve growth forecasts.
WHydrogen, obtained from the electrolysis of water using electricity from renewable energy sources, is considered a key technology to replace fossil fuels. However, electrolysis systems usually require fresh water, since the electrochemical splitting of salt water also produces chlorine ions, which form toxic chlorine gas. Among other things, this attacks the electrodes and reduces their service life. However, the large demand for fresh water limits the number of locations suitable for electrolysis plants. Because almost all regions with a high potential for solar and wind energy are struggling with a lack of fresh water. Processes that do not use freshwater supplies, such as the electrolysis of water vapor contained in the air, would therefore be desirable.
The idea is not new. However, the previous processes produced hydrogen with a maximum degree of purity of up to two percent. The gas obtained in this way has to be cleaned in a complex manner, which is associated with high costs and worsens the ecological footprint of the entire process. Australian scientists from the University of Melbourne have now built a prototype that produces hydrogen with a degree of purity of 99 percent by direct electrolysis of moisture in the air.
