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.
RSS
On 10 February 2023 the Commission adopted two delegated acts: the definition of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) and the methodology for assessing emission reductions. Hydrogen from biomass is subject to separate RED rules.
Steam reforming turns CH₄ from biogas or biomethane into H₂ and CO₂. We explain the reactions, conditions, efficiency, the mass and emissions balance and the place of the process among biohydrogen production routes.
On 4 January 2023 the Indian government approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission: production capacity of at least 5 million t per year by 2030, about 125 GW of renewables and an initial budget of 19,744 crore rupees.
In December 2022 the government of Costa Rica presented the National Green Hydrogen Strategy 2022–2050; it assumes 200–750 MW of electrolysis by 2030 and a hydrogen cost of about USD 2/kg.
On 14 June 2022 the ministry MIEM published an implementation plan for green hydrogen and derivatives; the government points to a production potential of about USD 2 billion by 2040.
Purple bacteria produce H₂ from organic acids in the light, using nitrogenase. We explain the mechanism, conditions, hybrid systems with dark fermentation and the real barriers to scaling up.
On 23 March 2022 the NDRC and the NEA published a medium- and long-term plan for developing the hydrogen industry: by 2025 about 50,000 fuel cell vehicles and 100–200 thousand t of green hydrogen a year.
The South African cabinet approved the Hydrogen Society Roadmap in September 2021, and Minister Nzimande formally presented it on 17 February 2022. The roadmap sets out 70 priority actions.
On 2 November 2021 the Council of Ministers adopted resolution No. 149 on the Polish Hydrogen Strategy. Targets: 2 GW of electrolysers, 800–1000 hydrogen buses and 32 refuelling stations by 2030.
In dark fermentation anaerobic bacteria produce H₂ from sugars without light. We discuss the microorganisms, process conditions, realistic yields and why the technology is still at the research stage.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy published a hydrogen roadmap on 30 September 2021; Law 2099/2021 recognised hydrogen as an unconventional energy source with the incentives of Law 1715.
On 14 January 2021, the Ministry of Climate and Environment published the draft hydrogen strategy. It assumes 2 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030 and six strategic goals.
On 16 December 2020 the Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O’Regan presented the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada: 32 recommendations, regional hubs and a climate neutrality horizon of 2050.
On 3 November 2020 the Chilean government presented its green hydrogen strategy: the cheapest hydrogen in the world by 2030, a place among the top three exporters by 2040 and 5 GW of electrolysis under development by 2025.
On 8 September 2020 the French government announced a national low-carbon hydrogen strategy: EUR 7.2 billion of public support to 2030, of which EUR 2 billion in 2021–2022 under the recovery plan.
Biohydrogen is hydrogen from biomass or biogas, not from electrolysis. We explain the pathways: dark fermentation, photofermentation, biogas reforming and gasification, together with the real state of development.
Communication COM(2020) 301 sets three phases of hydrogen development in the EU, with a target of 40 GW of electrolysers and up to 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030. The European Clean Hydrogen Alliance was also created.
On 10 June 2020 the German federal government approved a hydrogen strategy with a target of 5 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030 and a budget of EUR 9 billion, of which EUR 7 billion domestically.
On 7 March 2020 FH2R, a 10 MW facility producing hydrogen from solar energy and the grid, at up to 1,200 Nm³/h, was officially opened in Namie (Fukushima).
In 2019 ARENA announced up to 9.41 million AUD for Hazer Group for a demonstration plant at the Woodman Point treatment plant (Perth), which is to produce hydrogen and graphite from biogas.
