Introducing a practical approach for evaluating catalyst stability in alkaline water electrolysis under simulated industrial conditions

Hydrogen generation through water electrolysis with renewable energy sources is essential for a sustainable energy future. Intensive research has focused on developing advanced catalysts for both the anode and cathode to achieve optimal energy efficiency in producing hydrogen. However, standardized methods for assessing a catalyst's stability under industrial conditions remain limited. In this work, we introduce a practical, cost-effective approach for evaluating catalyst durability in an alkaline water electrolysis system at 30 wt.% KOH, 80 °C and a current density of 1.0 A cm −2 . The automated setup allows for extended ON/OFF cycling to reflect real industrial operating conditions. The experimentation time was conducted for 144 h for demonstration purposes. Using nickel foam (NF) and commercial Catrode® (Catrode) electrodes, the cell voltages decreased from 2.76 to 2.62 V and from 2.45 to 2.33 V, respectively, which indicated the activation of the electrodes and surface restructuring. It is suggested for stability measurement tests, significantly longer times are required when using the developed protocol. Compared with existing stability protocols that use mild conditions (such as 10 mA cm −2 ), this approach reflects industrial practices by offering realistic and scalable evaluation metrics. The limitations of this protocol are also discussed and can be addressed in future designs.