The process of producing hydrogen and oxygen through electrochemical water splitting involves the oxidation-reduction reaction of water molecules driven by direct current at electrodes, converting electrical energy into chemical energy of hydrogen. This technology, depending on the type of electrolyte, is categorized into various process paths such as alkaline electrolysis, proton exchange membrane electrolysis, and solid oxide electrolysis, achieving a conversion efficiency of 75%-85%. Compared to traditional hydrogen production from fossil fuels, water electrolysis produces no pollutants such as sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides throughout the entire process. When combined with renewable energy generation technology, it becomes a core component in building an "electricity-hydrogen-electricity" energy circulation system [5-6]. For instance, Jiangxi Province has included renewable energy-based hydrogen production through water electrolysis in its national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market construction project [4]. In July 2025, the research team led by Yan Ya from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, published research results in Science, successfully preparing a novel catalyst that addresses the dissolution and corrosion issues of key metal hydroxide active sites during alkaline water oxidation [3] [9]. In December 2025, China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC) established an integrated test platform for off-grid flexible hydrogen production using new energy in Yanqing, Beijing. This platform verifies the advantages of proton exchange membrane electrolyzers with a working current density of up to 2 A/cm² and fast dynamic response, and addresses the instability issues of off-grid hydrogen production caused by new energy fluctuations through source-storage-load coordinated control technology [11].

As of 2024, the main challenges facing this technology include high electricity consumption costs and issues related to the durability of key materials. The energy consumption of industrial-grade electrolyzers generally ranges from 4.3 to 5 kWh/Nm³ H₂. Calculated at an electricity price of 0.3 yuan/kWh, the cost of hydrogen production through water electrolysis is approximately 21 yuan/kg H₂. The performance of proton exchange membranes degrades by 15%-20% after 30,000 hours of continuous operation [2]. In 2023, a low-energy consumption megawatt-scale proton exchange membrane electrolysis device for hydrogen production was selected as one of the top ten technological innovations in the energy industry, and related demonstration projects were commercially applied in Delingha, Qinghai, and Changchun, Jilin [8]. The world's first offshore wind power direct electrolysis technology for hydrogen production without desalination of seawater was verified in Xinghua Bay, Fuqing, Fujian in 2023 [7] [10]. By the end of 2024, the annual output of hydrogen produced through water electrolysis was approximately 320,000 tons, accounting for about 1% of China's annual hydrogen production [12].