China’s first seawater to hydrogen project is due for commercial operation on October
China’s first seawater to hydrogen project is under busy construction at Dalian now and the project is due for commercial construction at October 1st this year.
The project has just completed the procurement of solar panel and electrolyzers this week which includes 100MW solar power at mud flat area and 2,000 tons green hydrogen per annum capacity, the first industrial scale seawater electrolysis project in China.
Although seawater to hydrogen is a promising technology for it could leverage abundant seawater and renewable power resource along the coastal area, it also has many difficulties to overcome. First, Seawater contains corrosive elements such as salt and other impurities, which can accelerate the corrosion of electrodes and equipment used in the electrolysis process. This corrosion can reduce the efficiency and lifespan of the equipment, requiring additional measures for protection and maintenance. Second, Seawater electrolysis generally requires more energy compared to freshwater electrolysis due to the higher concentration of dissolved ions in seawater. This increased energy demand can impact the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the technology.
China has been studying and testing seawater electrolysis technology for many years. In 2022, a research team in Shenzhen announced breakthrough of its seawater electrolysis technology, they successfully developed new technology for direct electrolytic hydrogen production of seawater, established a viable method for direct electrolytic hydrogen production of seawater with gas-liquid interface phase transition. The electrochemical reaction doesn’t need extra energy consumption and the dynamic self-regulation and stabilization of seawater direct electrolytic hydrogen production can be realized in collaboration with seawater migration. Such technology developments pave the way to large scale seawater electrolysis in China.
The project in Dalian has 3 phases with a total investment of 3 billion Rmb ($430 mn), should it fully complete, it will produce 10,000 tons green hydrogen annually and all of the green hydrogen will be consumed domestically.
Image: the solar power station in the mud flat area