Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed two innovative systems that utilize urea from urine and wastewater to generate green hydrogen, presenting a sustainable energy solution.

The technology could revolutionize the green hydrogen market while tackling environmental issues related to urine waste management, which can harm aquatic ecosystems if not treated properly.

This breakthrough not only makes green hydrogen economically viable alongside fossil fuels but also provides an advanced solution for wastewater treatment.

These systems offer new methods for economically producing green hydrogen while addressing nitrogenous waste remediation in aquatic environments.

Importantly, these systems can operate directly with raw human urine, making them cost-effective by avoiding the need for pure urea and efficiently converting waste urea into harmless nitrogen gas.

The platinum-based system consumes as little as 4.05 kWh per cubic meter of hydrogen, which is more efficient than the 4.70-5.00 kWh required for traditional water electrolysis.

Both systems have demonstrated exceptional stability, with the platinum system operating continuously for over 200 hours and achieving a nitrogen gas efficiency of up to 73.1%.

The use of platinum raises concerns about sustainability due to its cost and finite availability, prompting a focus on developing non-precious metal catalysts for future systems.

The research team is exploring non-precious metal catalysts to further reduce costs and enhance scalability of the technology, aiming for widespread implementation in renewable energy systems.

This innovation exemplifies principles of the circular economy, transforming waste into a valuable resource and promoting sustainable development globally.

The first system is a membrane-free urea electrolysis system, while the second employs a chlorine-mediated oxidation process using platinum-based catalysts to generate hydrogen from urine.

The estimated production cost of hydrogen using this new technology is approximately US$1.81 per kilogram, making it competitive with grey hydrogen sourced from fossil fuels.