Environment & Energy

Caribbeans

(1,315 posts) Thu May 21, 2026, 11:29 PM Thursday

University of Alberta chemist turns ocean water into an abundant hydrogen source

University of Alberta chemist turns ocean water into an abundant hydrogen source

Patented technology now licensed by a Canadian company could change how the world powers everything from heavy industry to remote communities.

University of Alberta | Michael Brown | April 23, 2026

While most people look at the ocean and see a beautiful sunset or a place to swim, University of Alberta chemistry professor Steve Bergens looks at the saltwater and the energy from the waves, tides, wind and sun, and sees an endless supply of fuel.

Bergens and his team have patented a process that creates hydrogen from water, including seawater. The technology, which has now been licensed by the Canadian company Cipher Neutron, could change how the world powers everything from heavy industry to remote communities.

Hydrogen is often discussed as a fuel of the future, but Bergens points out that it is already the foundation of our modern world.

“Hydrogen is everywhere. Now. It is the lifeblood of the economy,” says Bergens. “You need it to make gasoline, you need it to make fertilizer, you need it to make vegetable oil, methanol, it’s used for fuel. It’s everywhere. And so making hydrogen efficiently, at a low cost without waste, has got to be one of the most important problems that everybody’s working on.” more>
https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2026/04/u-of-a-chemist-turns-ocean-water-into-an-abundant-hydrogen-source.html

Highly Active Electrochemical Hydrogen Production from Water Using CaTiO3 Loaded with Cu2−xO
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11244-024-02018-3?

4 replies

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University of Alberta chemist turns ocean water into an abundant hydrogen source (Original Post) Caribbeans Thursday OP

A ray of hope for an oil-soaked planet. Permanut Yesterday #1

More hope! Caribbeans Yesterday #2

A durable process that uses sea-water would be a huge breakthrough. thought crime Yesterday #3

Um, high school kids can make hydrogen from seawater. I made hydrogen from salt water when I was twelve years old. NNadir Yesterday #4

Permanut

(8,585 posts)

1. A ray of hope for an oil-soaked planet.

Reply to Caribbeans (Original post)

Fri May 22, 2026, 12:05 AM

Yesterday

Caribbeans

(1,315 posts)

2. More hope!

Reply to Permanut (Reply #1)

Fri May 22, 2026, 12:14 AM

Yesterday

NASA Scientist Says Hydrogen Planes Will Change Aviation Forever

Hasn't been infected by Dump or the Petrodollar

thought crime

(1,795 posts)

3. A durable process that uses sea-water would be a huge breakthrough.

Reply to Caribbeans (Original post)

Fri May 22, 2026, 12:17 AM

Yesterday

I hope they are planning a prototype to demonstrate this process at scale.

NNadir

(38,584 posts)

4. Um, high school kids can make hydrogen from seawater. I made hydrogen from salt water when I was twelve years old.

Reply to Caribbeans (Original post)

Fri May 22, 2026, 01:17 AM

Yesterday

I did it with a transformer/rectifier for a train set.

Making hydrogen from water, like making hydrogen from any form of water destroys exergy, because it requires a source of energy, which it wastes in the process.

While my childhood "experiment" resulted in the oxidation of the copper wires I used as electrodes, ultimately shutting down the system. Developing an electrode with calcium titanate and copper does not reverse the laws of thermodynamics, although it may make the energy wasting electrode last longer.

If one looks at google patents, and types in the words "hydrogen electrode," one gets over 100,000 hits.

Big fucking deal.

Hydrogen is a dirty fuel, overwhelmingly made, everyone of the fucking planet from fossil fuels. All claims about using this intractable substance with absurdly dangerous physical properties as a consumer product as a scam for is marketing dangerous fossil fuels.

A Giant Climate Lie: When they're selling hydrogen, what they're really selling is fossil fuels.

It is, therefore, an odious enterprise.

Have a nice day tomorrow.

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