Green hydrogen production: synergizing efficient water desalination and food crop by products

Growing concerns of climate change have made it imperative to look for clean energy sources for a sustainable future. Energy security is also a prime concern for any rising economy. One such source of energy that has gained the spotlight in the recent times is green hydrogen (H₂). One way to produce green H₂ is by water electrolysis using renewable energy (RE). Green hydrogen production through water electrolysis accounts for only 4% of the total hydrogne production worldwide. This process requires ultrapure water to be used in the electrolyzer. This makes low-cost water treatment as a prerequisite for green H₂ production. This review emphasizes on low cost, high-recovery water desalination and distillation by using solar photovoltaic (PV) and multi-effect distillation (MED) by using a low-grade thermal energy source. This study focuses on the integration of water desalination and green H₂ production for sustainable development. The study emphasizes on the importance of sustainable water availability for sustainable H₂ production. To realize H₂ as a future of emission-free energy, one must have to look at the sustainable water solutions. Producing green H₂ at a global scale could strain freshwater sources for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes. The vast amount of seawater may help solve this problem if desalination can be achieved at a lower cost. Therefore, desalination and distillation technologies will play a pivotal role in green H₂ economy. This study endeavors to provide a comprehensive review on potential sustainable solution to interlinked problems of hydrogen energy and water.