In this paper, we report a new nickel complex, [(bpte)NiCl2] (bpte = S,S'-bis(2pyridylmethyl)-1,2-thioethane) that can serve as a catalyst both for electrochemical and photochemical driven hydrogen production from water. As an electrocatalyst, [(lopte)NiCl2] can electrocatalyze hydrogen generation from a neutral buffer with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 555.78 mol of hydrogen per mole of catalyst per hour (mol H-2/mol catalyst/h) at an overpotential (OP) of 837.6 mV. Together with CdS nanorods (CdS NRs) as a photosensitizer, and ascorbic acid (H2A) as a sacrificial electron donor, the nickel complex also can photocatalyze hydrogen evolution in heterogeneous environments and can work for 107 h. Under an optimal condition, the photocatalytic system can afford 24900 mol of H-2 per mole of catalyst during 83 h irradiation, with a TOF of 300H(2) per catalyst per hour. The average value of apparent quantum yield (AQY) is-24% at 420 nm. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.