Biohydrogen is hydrogen produced from biomass or organic waste: in dark fermentation, photofermentation, biogas reforming or thermal processes. It is still mainly the subject of research and pilot projects.
RSSRoutes to producing hydrogen from biological feedstocks, comparison with electrolysis, the state of the technology and regulation of renewable hydrogen.
The carbon footprint of hydrogen ranges from several dozen kg CO₂e/kg for electrolysis on a coal-based grid to negative values for biomethane from slurry. We work through examples and discuss the 70% reduction threshold in EU law.
Should a biogas plant produce hydrogen? We assess five scenarios: electrolysis from CHP electricity, biomethane reforming, hydrogen-assisted digestion, hydrogen for farm machinery and supply to industry.
Adding hydrogen to the gas grid lowers energy density and affects appliances. We calculate the effect of 20% H₂ by volume, discuss limits and compare with biomethane, which requires no infrastructure changes.
The European Commission approved an Italian aid scheme worth EUR 6 billion for renewable hydrogen production until the end of 2029. The biogenic route is also eligible, alongside electrolysis powered by RES; the target is 200 thousand tonnes per year.
On 6 February 2026 financial close was announced for the Kapuni project in Taranaki: 25.6 MW of wind, a 5 MW electrolyser and up to 2 t of hydrogen per day, with production starting in 2027.
On 14 January 2026 the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) published a report on RFNBO fuels. Among other things, it shows that most new e-methane installations plan to use CO₂ from biogas upgrading.
In a two-stage system, dark fermentation yields hydrogen, and the second stage converts acids into methane. We explain the principle, the composition of biohythane, the energy benefits and the limits to deployment.
A steering committee chaired by Prime Minister Akhannouch selected on 6 March 2025 five investors for six green hydrogen projects in the southern provinces with a combined value of 319 billion dirhams.
In January 2025 the Treasury and the IRS published final regulations for the 45V credit: qualifying hydrogen may not exceed 4 kg CO₂e/kg H₂, and the full USD 3/kg applies below 0.45 kg.
What Korea's 2019 Hydrogen Economy Roadmap envisaged: 6.2 million vehicles, 1,200 stations and 15 GW of fuel cells in the power sector — and how real life tested these targets.
We compare hydrogen production pathways from biomass and biogas (dark fermentation, photofermentation, gasification, reforming) and electrolysis in terms of technological maturity, costs and barriers to deployment.
On 15 August 2024 the Egyptian government announced a National Low-Carbon Hydrogen Strategy, which is to add about USD 18 billion to GDP and create more than 100 thousand jobs by 2040.
On 30 April 2024 the European Commission announced the results of the first European Hydrogen Bank auction: almost €720 million for seven renewable hydrogen projects in four countries.
On 23 April 2024 the Hiringa Energy station in Wiri (Auckland) was officially opened, part of a green hydrogen refuelling network for trucks that the company describes as the first in Australasia.
Hydrogen from electrolysis powered by renewables is RFNBO, not biohydrogen. We explain the definitions in EU law, the rules on additionality and temporal correlation, and the situation of hydrogen produced from biogas plant electricity.
In January 2024 Hazer Group announced the first production of hydrogen and graphite at its demonstration plant next to the Woodman Point wastewater treatment plant, after delays in 2022–2023.
On 13 October 2023 the US Department of Energy named seven regional clean hydrogen hubs, which were conditionally awarded up to USD 7 billion from the infrastructure law.
In September 2023 the IEA published the Global Hydrogen Review 2023. Global hydrogen demand in 2022 was about 95 Mt, and low-emission production is still very small.
Biomass gasification yields syngas, from which hydrogen can be separated or bio-SNG produced. We describe reactors, gas cleaning, yields, the GoBiGas example and technology maturity.
Sinopec announced in early July 2023 the start of production in Kuqa in Xinjiang: about 260 MW of electrolysers and a target of about 20,000 t of hydrogen a year.
On 20 June 2023 Delegated Regulations (EU) 2023/1184 and 2023/1185 on RFNBO were published. They enter into force on 10 July 2023. Hydrogen from biomass is subject to separate sustainability criteria.
The Namibian government and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy signed a Feasibility and Implementation Agreement on 26 May 2023 for a USD 10 billion green hydrogen project in the Tsau ǁKhaeb National Park.
In April 2023 Sinopec announced the construction of China's first long-distance hydrogen pipeline: about 400 km from Ulanqab to Beijing, initially 100,000 t a year.
On 16 March 2023 the Commission presented the concept of the European Hydrogen Bank: support mechanisms for the production and import of renewable hydrogen, with a pilot auction planned for autumn 2023.
