Integration of Green Hydrogen Production with Water Desalination: A Sustainable Path Forward

Growing concerns over climate change have underscored the urgency of identifying clean energy sources to ensure a sustainable future. Energy security is also a key priority for emerging economies. Green hydrogen has recently gained significant attention as a potential energy solution. One method of producing green hydrogen is through water electrolysis powered by renewable energy (RE). However, currently, only about 4% of global hydrogen production comes from this green method. This process requires ultrapure water for the electrolyzers, making cost-effective water treatment essential for green hydrogen production. This review highlights importance of low-cost, high-recovery water desalination (WD) and distillation technologies, such as membrane desalination (MD) and multi-effect distillation (MED) and its integration in green hydrogen production system. It explores the integration of water desalination with green hydrogen production as a pathway toward sustainable development. Ensuring a reliable supply of sustainable water is crucial for scaling up green hydrogen production. Large-scale green hydrogen production could strain freshwater resources, which are needed for drinking, agriculture, and industry. The abundant seawater offers a potential solution, provided desalination can be made more affordable and sustainable. Therefore, desalination and distillation technologies will be central to the future hydrogen economy. This review aims to provide an overview of potential sustainable solutions to the interconnected challenges of hydrogen energy and water availability.