Equatic announces the start of production in the United States of its special oxygen-selective anodes, which can be used for hydrogen production from seawater
New advances in seawater electrolysis
Producing hydrogen directly from seawater is no longer an impossible mission. What was recently just lab research is now turning into market-driven projects. A prime example is what’s happening in the United States. Equatic, a company focused on carbon removal technologies, has announced the production of a new anode for marine electrolysis.
The electrode was developed by scientist and Equatic co-founder Dr. Xin Chen at the University of California, Los Angeles, with financial support from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) of the U.S. Department of Energy. According to the company, the device will enter production at a new facility in San Diego.
Producing hydrogen from seawater: Challenges to overcome
This marks a significant step forward for the H2 sector, which has faced and successfully overcome numerous challenges. Using seawater to produce hydrogen presents several major issues.
Conventional electrolyzers use cathode catalysts to help split water molecules into hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-). Excess electrons at the cathode combine pairs of hydrogen ions into hydrogen gas (H2). Meanwhile, OH- ions pass through the membrane between the electrodes to reach the anode, where other catalysts combine oxygen into oxygen gas (O2).
However, when seawater is used, the internal reactions also convert chloride ions in the water into highly corrosive chlorine gas, which damages electrodes and catalysts.
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The new anode for marine electrolysis
In 2021, Dr. Chen set out to create a marine electrolysis carbon removal process that would produce hydrogen without generating chlorine gas. Along with his research team, he developed electrodes with finely engineered catalysts that do not react with the salt in seawater. The only drawback: after three years, the anodes need a new layer of catalysts.
Despite this, the company is ready to enter the market. The San Diego facility has a highly specialized team and is expected to produce 4,000 units in its first year.
“Traditional electrolysis has only been feasible with pure water, an increasingly scarce global resource. Equatic’s oxygen-selective anodes (OSA) eliminate the need for pure water and instead tap into the world’s most abundant water resource: the ocean,” said Dr. Doug Wicks, ARPA-E program director, which funds advanced energy technologies. “Equally important, this U.S. innovation will be produced by a highly skilled team in San Diego, boosting our national clean economy and creating ripple effects felt around the world”.
