Researchers have discovered a method to produce — and potentially scale — green hydrogen, according to IEEE Spectrum.

Scalable green hydrogen has long eluded researchers. Historically, scientists have relied on electricity-powered electrolyzers to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel cells. Fuel cells, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, are a kind of battery. They rely on hydrogen rather than fossil fuels to run, minimizing pollution. 

Green hydrogen would appear to offer a neat solution, but the reality is far more complicated.  Traditional electrolyzers used proton-exchange membranes, which depended on iridium (a rare metal) to function. Iridium’s rarity made green hydrogen difficult to scale and sell en masse.

However, researchers have found a new way to power these electrolyzers, making the process greener than before: anion-exchange membranes (AEMs).

“This has long been considered the potential savior to a lot of issues with other types of electrolysis that we’ve been trying to scale,” Lindsey Motlow, a physicist, told IEEE Spectrum.

What makes AEM a “savior”? It uses cheaper, more common metals like nickel and steel. While it’s worked in labs, it hasn’t been scaled yet. But that’s poised to change.

These research teams, located in both the U.S. and France, are backed by big companies interested in the growing renewable energy market.

Hydrogen fuel cells can be used to power just about anything, from light bulbs to electric vehicles. Basically, if it runs on electricity, a hydrogen fuel cell can power it, per Columbia Climate School.

Not only do they reduce pollution, but they generate three times as much power as your average fossil fuel. 

The CEO of Ecolectro, a U.S.-based green hydrogen company, told IEEE Spectrum that they’re building their first commercial-scale units. In France, Michelin is working on making AEMs more durable. While they both have a long way to go, this is definitely a solid first step.

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