Seawater Electrolysis Hydrogen System AquaFuel Goes Live in Norway: Green Hydrogen Cost Drops Below $2/kg for First Time

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On May 12, 2028, Norwegian state-owned energy company Statkraft officially launched the AquaFuel seawater electrolysis hydrogen system at its Bergen facility. The system uses novel nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) catalysts to directly electrolyze untreated seawater for hydrogen production, with the cost per kilogram of green hydrogen dropping to $1.87.

This cost figure is symbolically significant—the industry generally considers that green hydrogen below $2/kg becomes economically competitive with grey hydrogen (produced from fossil fuels) across multiple applications.

Statkraft CEO Birgitte Ringstad Vartdal explained that AquaFuel's core innovation lies in the catalyst layer design. "Traditional electrolyzers have stringent water quality requirements—chloride ions in seawater rapidly corrode electrodes. Our NiFe-LDH catalyst not only resists chloride corrosion but also selectively catalyzes water molecule decomposition over chloride ion oxidation during seawater electrolysis."

During the trial operation, AquaFuel achieved 72% electrolysis efficiency, close to freshwater alkaline electrolyzers (75%). The system's daily capacity is 500 kg of hydrogen, with Statkraft planning to scale to 5 tons per day by end of 2029.

IEA hydrogen analyst Cédric Philibert said: "Approximately 40% of the global population lives within 100 kilometers of the coastline. If seawater electrolysis costs continue to decline, these regions will have enormous green hydrogen production potential without relying on freshwater supply."

Liu Wei, secretary-general of the China Hydrogen Alliance, noted that China's coastal wind resources are abundant, and seawater electrolysis technology, once mature, would create natural synergy with offshore wind. "At offshore wind farms in Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang, producing hydrogen directly on-site and transporting it via pipeline to shore could dramatically reduce hydrogen transport costs."

However, AquaFuel's long-term stability still needs verification. During the six-month trial, the system experienced one localized catalyst layer degradation requiring shutdown for replacement. Statkraft says the issue has been resolved by optimizing catalyst thickness and adding protective coatings, but reliability data over extended operation (5+ years) still needs accumulation.