A new hope for Green Hydrogen - but its still early
From Seawater and Scrap to a Scalable Solution
Green hydrogen has been touted as the fuel of the future — clean-burning, renewable, and capable of decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors like heavy industry and long-distance transport. But so far, the dream has fallen short. High production costs, complex infrastructure, and uncertain demand have kept green hydrogen stuck in the slow lane. That may be change, thanks to a new innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). (1)
What’s the Breakthrough?
MIT researchers have developed a method to produce green hydrogen using aluminum pellets and seawater. Instead of relying on electrolysis — a process that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen — this new approach uses a chemical reaction between aluminum and water. When activated with a small amount of gallium-indium alloy, recycled aluminum reacts with seawater to release hydrogen gas. The byproduct? Aluminum oxyhydroxide, also known as boehmite, which has commercial value in industries such as semiconductors.
Critically, this method sidesteps many of the issues that have plagued conventional hydrogen production. It eliminates the need for expensive electrolysers, requires no high-voltage renewable input, and uses waste materials like, according to the article, soda cans. A life-cycle analysis showed the process produces just 1.45 kilograms of carbon dioxide for every kilogram of hydrogen — far less than the 9 to 12 kilograms of emissions from traditional steam methane reforming.
Better still, the hydrogen can be produced on demand, wherever it’s needed. Instead of transporting highly flammable hydrogen gas in bulky, pressurised tanks, suppliers could ship solid aluminum pellets. Add seawater, and hydrogen is released. A prototype the size of a water bottle has already been used to power an electric bicycle for several hours.
Why It Matters
This innovation comes at a time when Australia’s green hydrogen ambitions are facing serious headwinds. Despite abundant solar and wind resources, government support, and over $8 billion in public funding commitments, several high-profile projects are being scaled back. Fortescue Future Industries, once aiming to produce 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, has abandoned that target. Origin Energy has exited its flagship project in the Hunter Valley. Both companies cited high production costs and slow technological development as key reasons.
The current standard for green hydrogen production — electrolysis powered by renewable energy — remains expensive and inefficient. In Australia, production costs range from $5 to $6 per kilogram. That’s well above the Federal Government’s target of $2 per kilogram for commercial viability.
MIT’s new aluminum-water method offers a workaround. It could provide a cheaper, cleaner and more flexible path to hydrogen production, without the need for large-scale renewable infrastructure or complex distribution networks.
The Challenges Holding Hydrogen Back
Australia’s experience shows just how tricky the hydrogen equation has been so far. The barriers are not just financial—they’re structural and logistical too.
1. High Production Costs
Electrolysis remains energy-intensive and expensive. Even with cheap renewable inputs, electrolyser systems are costly, and the process lacks economies of scale. This is why the $2/kg target has proven so elusive.
2. Infrastructure Bottlenecks
Hydrogen is a challenging molecule. It’s reactive, flammable, and has low energy density. Why is it dangerous? Just think of the Hindenburg and those pictures we all saw when studying. Storing hydrogen requires high-pressure tanks or cryogenic temperatures. Transporting it safely means building or retrofitting pipelines and creating specialised refuelling stations. In Australia, these developments have lagged.
3. Uncertain Market Demand
While countries like Japan, South Korea, and Germany have signalled strong interest in hydrogen imports, few are ready to buy at the scale Australia had hoped for. Meanwhile, other producers — Chile, Saudi Arabia, and the United States — are racing to claim the same export markets.
4. Regulatory Hurdles
Despite government backing, there’s still no clear framework for blending hydrogen into gas networks or safety standards for transport and storage. This lack of clarity makes investors nervous.
Why the Aluminum-Water Method Stands Out
The aluminum-water reaction addresses many of these hurdles:
No Electrolysers Needed: The reaction works at room temperature, with no need for electricity or costly equipment.
Portable Production: Hydrogen can be generated at the point of use—from marine vessels to remote off-grid communities.
Lower Emissions: Recycling aluminum uses just 5% of the energy required to produce it from scratch, and the total carbon emissions are far lower than any fossil-fuel method.
Reduced Storage Risk: Transporting solid pellets is safer and easier than moving flammable gas.
Marketable Byproducts: Boehmite, the byproduct of the reaction, has industrial applications that could significantly offset production costs.
Perhaps most importantly, the process is simple, well understood, and already proven at small scale. With sufficient investment and engineering, it could be deployed commercially in the near future.
The Bottom Line
Australia’s green hydrogen sector has taken some heavy hits lately, but the technology coming out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a reason to remain optimistic. By using scrap aluminum and seawater to produce hydrogen on demand, this new method bypasses many of the cost and infrastructure challenges holding the industry back.
It may not replace electrolysis entirely — but it could complement it, especially in niche or remote applications. Innovation in hydrogen, and any clean energy, doesn’t always follow the expected path.
References
Shavit, Joseph. The Brighter Side Scientists create sustainable green hydrogen using soda cans and seawater June 06 2025 https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/scientists-create-sustainable-green-hydrogen-using-soda-cans-and-seawater/
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