Chinese scientists have developed a new method for making hydrogen gas from seawater, but much more money is still required to promote the application.

A research team in Anshan, a city in northeast China's Liaoning province, claimed that they have invented equipment, which can produce hydrogen with lower electricity use. They said the equipment uses only 0.93 kilowatts/hour to make one cubic meter of hydrogen gas -- believed to be the lowest figure in the world.

Before the equipment was invented, the researchers here were using about 8 kilowatt/hour to turn out one cubic meter of hydrogen.

However, local hydrogen producers noted that large-scale production of hydrogen with this equipment will still be quite costly. About 26 to 36 billion yuan (3.1 to 4.3 billion US dollars) is needed to build a coastal plant with daily capacity of 100 million cubic gas based on this technology.

Moreover, the research team was reported to have developed even more sophisticated equipment which used only 0.0093 kilowatt/hour to produce one cubic meter of hydrogen, but scientists said that there are too many difficulties involved and the cost of making such equipment and accessories is prohibitive.

Virtually pollution-free hydrogen is expected to replace other conventional fuels in the coming century.

The research outcome is expected to be published on the Internet shortly. (Xinhua)