Production of Biohydrogen from Lignocellulosic Feedstocks

Abstract

Interest in hydrogen energy has gained momentum in recent years as a sustainable and renewable alternative to the fast-depleting fossil fuels. It also provides an additional benefit of not emitting any greenhouse gases (GHG) which provides an incentive to adopt this clean fuel to all countries struggling to meet the GHG limitations as per the Paris agreement to combat climate change. Agricultural residues or second-generation feedstocks or lignocellulosic biomass are possible alternate feedstocks for energy production as they are abundant, cheap resources whose use adds little or no net greenhouse gas to the environment. Over the decades, several technologies have been developed and modified to produce hydrogen economically and sustainably from biomass. However, production from biomass, especially lignocellulosic biomass, has not kept pace with other developments in the field and still suffers from low production rates and yields. Ongoing research is expected to find a solution to the problems faced in this sector, and biohydrogen will emerge as an economical fuel in the future.