Ultra-fast green hydrogen production from municipal wastewater by an integrated forward osmosis-alkaline water electrolysis system

Recent advancements in membrane-assisted seawater electrolysis powered by renewable energy offer a sustainable path to green hydrogen production. However, its large-scale implementation faces challenges due to slow power-to-hydrogen (P2H) conversion rates. Here we report a modular forward osmosis-water splitting (FOWS) system that integrates a thin-film composite FO membrane for water extraction with alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), denoted as FOWS_AWE. This system generates high-purity hydrogen directly from wastewater at a rate of 448 Nm³ day⁻¹ m⁻² of membrane area, over 14 times faster than the state-of-the-art practice, with specific energy consumption as low as 3.96 kWh Nm⁻³. The rapid hydrogen production rate results from the utilisation of 1 M potassium hydroxide as a draw solution to extract water from wastewater, and as the electrolyte of AWE to split water and produce hydrogen. The current system enables this through the use of a potassium hydroxide-tolerant and hydrophilic FO membrane. The established water-hydrogen balance model can be applied to design modular FO and AWE units to meet demands at various scales, from households to cities, and from different water sources. The FOWS_AWE system is a sustainable and an economical approach for producing hydrogen at a record-high rate directly from wastewater, marking a significant leap in P2H practice. © The Author(s) 2024.