The current prototype impressively produces 200 milliliters of hydrogen per hour with a promising 12.6% energy efficiency.

“Water and energy are both critically needed for our everyday life, but typically, if you want to produce more energy, you have to consume more water,” said Lenan Zhang, assistant professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in Cornell Engineering, who led the project.

Zhang added: “On the other hand, we need drinking water, because two-thirds of the global population are facing water scarcity. So there is a bottleneck in green hydrogen production, and that is reflected in the cost.”