Renewable energy electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen is the most mature path
The trend of green hydrogen substitution is gradually emerging. Green hydrogen production technology includes
the use of wind power, hydropower, solar energy and other renewable energy sources to electrolyze water to
produce hydrogen, solar photolysis of water to produce hydrogen and biomass hydrogen production. Among them,
renewable energy sources to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen is the most widely used and most mature
technology. Way. Hydrogen production through electrolysis of water is a process that uses electricity to decompose
water into hydrogen and oxygen. This technology can use renewable energy and does not produce emissions of
carbon dioxide and other toxic and harmful substances, thereby obtaining true "green hydrogen". Water electrolysis
hydrogen production technology mainly includes alkaline water electrolysis, proton exchange membrane water
electrolysis, solid oxide water electrolysis and other electrolysis water technologies.
Compared with other hydrogen production technologies, alkaline water electrolysis for hydrogen production can
use non-noble metal catalysts, and the electrolyzer has a long service life of about 15 years, so it has cost
advantages and competitiveness. Alkaline electrolysis water hydrogen production technology has decades of
application experience. It was industrialized in the mid-20th century. It has high commercial maturity and rich
operating experience. The main performance indicators of some domestic key equipment are close to the
international advanced level. Single tank The electrolysis hydrogen production capacity is large, and it is easily
suitable for electrolysis hydrogen production in the power grid. However, the electrolyte used in this technology is
a strong alkali, which is corrosive, and the asbestos separator is not environmentally friendly and has certain
hazards.
Compared with alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production technology, PEM water electrolysis hydrogen
production technology has the advantages of large current density, high hydrogen purity, and fast response speed.
PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production technology is more efficient and can be easily integrated with
renewable energy. The combination is currently the ideal solution for hydrogen production through electrolysis of
water. However, since PEM electrolyzers need to operate in a highly acidic and highly oxidizing working
environment, the equipment needs to use electrocatalysts and special membrane materials containing precious
metals (platinum, iridium), resulting in high costs and a service life that is not as good as alkaline ones. Hydrogen
production technology by electrolyzing water.
At present, there is no gap between the development of PEM electrolyzers in China and foreign countries.