Seawater Refinary: A Pathway for Sustainable Metal Recovery and Green Hydrogen Production

Leonardo Oliveira Santos de Santana; Jonatas de Oliveira Souza Cavalcante; Gustavo de Souza dos Santos; Fernando Luiz Pellegrini Pessoa

doi:10.34178/jbth.v7i3.418

Leonardo Oliveira Santos de Santana
Jonatas de Oliveira Souza Cavalcante
Gustavo de Souza dos Santos
Fernando Luiz Pellegrini Pessoa

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34178/jbth.v7i3.418

Resumo

With the growing environmental challenges of saltwater desalination, seawater mining is emerging as a sustainable alternative to traditional onshore mining. This paper explores the potential of recovering metals from seawater and producing green hydrogen, proposing a "seawater refinery" concept inspired by oil and biorefineries. The refinery leverages advanced separation technologies and "Zero Liquid Discharge" methods to convert brine into valuable products, including green hydrogen (H₂) while minimizing environmental impacts.