Scientists found a new way in production of green hydrogen and CO2 capture
Hydrogen, sourced sustainably as "green hydrogen," is pivotal in climate change mitigation, its potential as a clean fuel highlighted by recent advancements in converting woody biomass for production while curbing CO2 emissions
image: Hydrogen, sourced sustainably as "green hydrogen," is pivotal in climate change mitigation, its potential as a clean fuel highlighted by recent advancements in converting woody biomass for production while curbing CO2 emissions, yet despite global interest, current renewable green hydrogen accounts for less than 0.1% of global production, urging further diverse renewable resource exploration and development for hydrogen production.
Credit: Shusheng Pang, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.
Hydrogen is known as colorless and odorless, and using hydrogen to abate the climate change is only possible when the hydrogen is generated from renewable resources, termed as green hydrogen. Hydrogen has potential as a clean fuel, depending on how it’s produced. Recently, scientists have achieved great progress in thermochemical conversion of woody biomass for production of green hydrogen and CO2 capture.
The present hydrogen production is predominantly from fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil and coal, and it resulted in almost 900 million tonnes CO2 emitted. As a clean energy carrier, hydrogen has attracted great interests world-wide to substitute fossil fuels and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But at present green hydrogen from renewable resources is less than 0.1% in the world hydrogen production, and this is largely from water electrolysis which is beneficial only when renewable electricity is used. Therefore, hydrogen production from diverse renewable resources is desirable.
Firewood can make fire, but how can firewood make hydrogen? A breakthrough in producing hydrogen from wood makes it possible. According to Shusheng Pang’s review, a scientist from University of Canterbury, it presents recent advances in hydrogen production from woody biomass through thermochemical conversion processes. The first step in the process is advanced biomass steam gasification which produces a hydrogen-rich gas mixture consisting of H2, CO, CO2 and CH4. Following the gasification, CO2 in the gas is captured for reuse and the gas is further processed to convert CH4 and CO to H2 and CO2 through reactions with steam. Eventually H2 in the H2/CO2 mixture is separated for storage using organic liquid carrier through hydrogenation.
It is a new way to explore the opportunities for enhancing H2 yield through steam inputs to biomass gasification and gas processing operations. Further research and development are required for implementation of the hydrogen production technologies from woody biomass. The next steps of the research will focus on technology proof at demonstration scale, the analysis of capital and operational costs, and verify the overall environmental benefits. The research on hydrogen is important to everyone, let us look forward to another breakthrough in this area.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2023.06.002
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