Beyond freshwater: A strategic roadmap for green hydrogen production via seawater electrolysis in Malaysia

Malaysia showcases their commitment to serve as a regional green hydrogen hub from the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) with a target of 2.5 million tonnes produced annually by 2050. The obstacle to this grand mission is the dependent of the green hydrogen production; electrolysis on freshwater, challenging the practicality for industrial scale. This paper explores the potential of leveraging Malaysia's Blue Ocean Economy cuing at seawater as a resourceful alternative to freshwater. The primary technical hurdle, however, is the corrosive chloride content of seawater, which impairs the electrolysers and this article points at two available solutions: i. Indirect Seawater Electrolysis (ISE) and ii. Direct Seawater Electrolysis (DSE). By a systematic comparative technology assessment, various criteria of performance are weighed, including technology readiness and costs. Essential analysis implies that a dual-track strategy is ideal for Malaysia with ISE being the most viable for immediate implementation factored by the high technology readiness (TRL 8-9), minimal impact on hydrogen cost (increasing LCOH by <1%), and added benefit of producing potable water to enhance national water security. On the other hand, DSE, is a decisive strategic investment for the future despite its current lower maturity (TRL 3-5). Recent breakthroughs in anion exchange membranes (AEM) with stabilities of more than 9000 h point to bright prospects for their use in offshore and decentralized H 2 production. Consequently, Malaysia should concurrently deploy ISE for immediate gains and pursue intensive R&D in DSE to take the leading role in the future green hydrogen landscape.