An academic team comprising eight researchers from Turkish and Libyan universities, led by Dr. Hilal Çelik Kazıcı from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, has prepared an integrated scientific project aimed at producing fresh water and green hydrogen from seawater using solar energy, in preparation for its official presentation during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).
Mechanism of the Integrated System
Entitled "Root Biomass and its Relationship with Hydrogen and Fresh Water," the project relies on harnessing energy produced from solar panels and dividing it to feed two main pathways. The first portion of electricity is allocated for seawater desalination and desalination processes, while the remaining portion is directed to generate hydrogen through water electrolysis technology.
In the initial laboratory phase, the team relies on using porous carbon extracted from agricultural waste to act as a supporting material for electrocatalysts. The researchers test the efficiency of the electrodes in potentiostat devices to determine the voltage required for hydrogen and oxygen evolution processes and to evaluate the stability of electrode performance over time.
Simulating Solar Energy Fluctuations
The project focuses on studying the behavior of the system under conditions of fluctuating solar energy production throughout the day, given that panel efficiency is low in the morning, high at noon, and affected by clouds. The mathematical and laboratory model aims to evaluate various scenarios, such as determining whether it is better to direct available energy to water desalination first or to prioritize hydrogen production based on water storage availability.
What This Project Represents
This project comes at a time when coastal regions with high solar potential are facing increasing pressures on fresh water resources. Through the presentation at COP31, the researchers aim to provide a clear technical and economic vision regarding the practical feasibility of integrating desalination units with water electrolysis to achieve optimal utilization of renewable energy in producing clean fuel and water together without depleting limited resources.