A new type of alkaline electrolysis cells with nickel foam based gas diffusion electrodes and KOH (aq) immobilized in mesoporous SrTiO3 has been developed and tested at temperatures and pressures up to 250 degrees C and 42 bar, respectively. Current densities of 1.0 A cm(-2) have been measured at a cell voltage of 1.5 V without the use of expensive noble metal catalysts. High electrical efficiency and current density combined with relatively small production costs may lead to both reduced investment and operating costs for hydrogen and oxygen production. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.