The ANEMEL project, funded by the European Innovation Council and led by the University of Galway, has made significant strides in developing sustainable green hydrogen production from low-quality water sources. This initiative could reshape the hydrogen sector by addressing key challenges in cost, efficiency, and environmental impact.
Green hydrogen, produced through water electrolysis using renewable energy, is crucial for achieving net-zero emissions. However, traditional electrolysis methods are often inefficient and expensive. ANEMEL aims to revolutionise this process by creating electrolysers that can operate with impure water, such as seawater and wastewater, using non-critical raw materials.
Dr. Pau Farràs, ANEMEL Coordinator, explains the project’s objectives: “The goal of ANEMEL is to develop a water electrolyser – an instrument that breaks down water into oxygen and hydrogen using electricity. This is a critical pathway for the hydrogen economy because, although there are other types of technologies that can be used to obtain hydrogen, a water electrolyser can be coupled to renewable energy to produce hydrogen with no carbon emissions.”
The project focuses on anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysers, which offer several advantages over traditional alkaline and polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysers. “One of the main issues with water electrolysers is that some of the commercial ones use strong bases, such as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, at high concentrations, which are corrosive and hazardous,” Dr. Farràs notes. “Conversely, the newer polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysers need ultra-pure water to run. In both cases, the water must be purified to the highest level possible to ensure stable electrolysis.”
ANEMEL’s approach involves developing components compatible with water impurities, reducing the need for expensive and hazardous materials. “The way that we define impure water in our case is by adding salt. We have a concentration of salt that is very similar to that of oceans,” Dr. Farràs says. “The idea is that a lot of the impure streams, or water streams that would not be competing with drinking water (e.g. sea, ocean, wastewater), contain salts. We want to show that we can operate this electrolyser under salty conditions.”
Recent achievements include the design of a 1kW electrolyser unit by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. The team simulated a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using commercially available materials, discovering that pH was the most influential parameter in performance. This work was published in a peer-reviewed paper, marking a significant step forward.
Additionally, the project has successfully operated a single-cell system under salty conditions, demonstrating the feasibility of using impure water sources. The EPFL group also showed that the AEMWE system can operate using pure water at very high current densities, leading to greater hydrogen production.
These developments could significantly impact the hydrogen sector by making green hydrogen production more cost-effective and sustainable. By reducing the need for ultra-pure water and expensive materials, ANEMEL’s electrolysers could lower production costs and increase efficiency. This could make green hydrogen more competitive with fossil fuel-based hydrogen, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The project’s collaborative approach, involving nine European organisations, highlights the importance of international cooperation in driving innovation. As Dr. Farràs notes, “The only way that we can achieve clean hydrogen production prices that compete with hydrogen produced using fossil fuels is by developing electrolysers that are very robust and long lasting.”
The ANEMEL project’s success could pave the way for wider adoption of green hydrogen, contributing to Europe’s net-zero goals. By challenging traditional norms and pushing the boundaries of current technology, ANEMEL is sparking debate and driving progress in the hydrogen sector. As the project continues to make strides, it will be crucial to monitor its impact and explore how its findings can be scaled up and integrated into existing infrastructure. The journey to net zero is complex and multifaceted, but initiatives like ANEMEL are proving that innovative solutions are within reach.