Hydrogen as a clean energy carrier has attracted great interests world-wide to substitute fossil fuels and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The emerging use of hydrogen for energy and transport has been increasing rapidly, which includes fuel cell vehicles, energy storage for power generation and substitution for natural gas, and these will be the major areas of hydrogen demand increase in the future.

To explore the opportunities for enhancing H₂ yield through steam inputs to biomass gasification and gas processing operations, Prof. Shusheng Pang presents a review on 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.

The review points out that steam input to biomass gasification and gas processing operations effectively transfer hydrogen atom in the steam to hydrogen gas in the final product and more research and development are required for implementation of the hydrogen production technologies from woody biomass in the further.

For more information:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2369969823000415

Editor : Cao Huicong