Seawater electrolysis and the price of palladium

Seawater electrolysis has always run into the need to desalinate first. The reposted publication presents a direct route, with hydrazine-assisted electrolysis and a palladium and nickel hydroxide catalyst, described as a sustainable path to large-scale green hydrogen production.

What separates the paper from a plant is the input. Palladium traded at 1,296 dollars per troy ounce on September 17, 2026, according to Trading Economics, and the same source records that Russia and South Africa account for 70% to 80% of world output. A catalyst built on a metal in that range has to prove durability and loading per square metre before any investment decision.

Removing the desalination step cuts upfront capital and opens the route to coastal plants, a gain that applies to any shoreline with abundant wind or sun. Between the paper and first revenue, though, there is still bench scale, pilot and commercial scale, each burning cash without invoicing.

The variable that pulls that timeline closer or pushes it away is the palladium loading per square metre of electrode.