Keywords Biomass · Biofuels · Biohydrogen production · Properties ·
Sustainability · Challenges
4.1 Hydrogen Energy
In the meantime, coal, oil, and natural gas from fossils play a foremost role in
causative of 86% overall primary energy utilization. The growing use of fossil fuels
contributed in the rapid discharge of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and carbon dioxide
that elevate the universal average surface air temperature, interrupt weather conditions, and acidify oceans (Obama 2017). GHGs in the atmosphere and the subsequent temperature rises would lead to various additional ecological problems,
together with the shrinking and the reduction of ice sheets in Greenland and
Antarctic, sea level increase, and biodiversity imbalance (Obama 2017). The renewable energy utilization instead of fossil fuels is a sustainable and environmentally
friendly future approach. A viable substitute to fossil fuels is hydrogen because of
safe combustion product (water) as well as high mass-energy density (122 kJ/kg)
(Naira et al. 2020). Nowadays, hydrogen is generated primarily through natural gas
steam reform and through water electrolysis. These techniques are costly and
consume energy either by consuming fossil fuels directly or by using electricity
which is mainly a derivative of fossil fuels (Jamile et al. 2019). The existing
hydrogen supply is not as safe as it should be. There is an urgent need for a safe
and effective hydrogen production process to help make hydrogen an additional fuel
source.
Commercial hydrogen is now primarily produced by the use of nonrenewable raw
materials. Approximately 90% of hydrogen is generated by reforming steam from
either natural gas or oil-naphtha fractions, while coal gasification and water electrolysis are used industrially to a lesser degree (Sharma et al. 2020). Such technologies are extremely energy intensive and not always environmentally friendly as
worldwide fossil fuel reserves are depleting at an unprecedented rate. Sustainable
hydrogen production through the utilization of unconventional sources therefore
seems to be crucial for the creation of a true hydrogen economy (Singh and
Mahapatra 2019). Biomass is abundant, environmentally friendly, and sustainable,
and thus, hydrogen production from biomass is a promising solution. Hydrogen
derived from biomass is expected to grow into a fuel for a more sustainable future.
Biomass, generally in wood form, is the ancient source of energy for humans,
historically by direct combustion in a highly inefficient method. Alternatively, the
conversion of biomass to liquid and gaseous fuels, electricity, as well as hydrogen is
definitely an additional effective technique for using biomass (Desika et al. 2018).
There are some efficient processes for extracting hydrogen from biomass within this
context which are not yet completely developed, and so the use of biomass as a
major feedstock is gaining considerable interest (Winny et al. 2020). Biomass
hydrogen has many advantages such as independence from oil imports, net product
stays in the country, stable price rates, and also an increase in the CO 2 balance which
80
L. Gangadhar et al.
Sustainability · Challenges
4.1 Hydrogen Energy
In the meantime, coal, oil, and natural gas from fossils play a foremost role in
causative of 86% overall primary energy utilization. The growing use of fossil fuels
contributed in the rapid discharge of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and carbon dioxide
that elevate the universal average surface air temperature, interrupt weather conditions, and acidify oceans (Obama 2017). GHGs in the atmosphere and the subsequent temperature rises would lead to various additional ecological problems,
together with the shrinking and the reduction of ice sheets in Greenland and
Antarctic, sea level increase, and biodiversity imbalance (Obama 2017). The renewable energy utilization instead of fossil fuels is a sustainable and environmentally
friendly future approach. A viable substitute to fossil fuels is hydrogen because of
safe combustion product (water) as well as high mass-energy density (122 kJ/kg)
(Naira et al. 2020). Nowadays, hydrogen is generated primarily through natural gas
steam reform and through water electrolysis. These techniques are costly and
consume energy either by consuming fossil fuels directly or by using electricity
which is mainly a derivative of fossil fuels (Jamile et al. 2019). The existing
hydrogen supply is not as safe as it should be. There is an urgent need for a safe
and effective hydrogen production process to help make hydrogen an additional fuel
source.
Commercial hydrogen is now primarily produced by the use of nonrenewable raw
materials. Approximately 90% of hydrogen is generated by reforming steam from
either natural gas or oil-naphtha fractions, while coal gasification and water electrolysis are used industrially to a lesser degree (Sharma et al. 2020). Such technologies are extremely energy intensive and not always environmentally friendly as
worldwide fossil fuel reserves are depleting at an unprecedented rate. Sustainable
hydrogen production through the utilization of unconventional sources therefore
seems to be crucial for the creation of a true hydrogen economy (Singh and
Mahapatra 2019). Biomass is abundant, environmentally friendly, and sustainable,
and thus, hydrogen production from biomass is a promising solution. Hydrogen
derived from biomass is expected to grow into a fuel for a more sustainable future.
Biomass, generally in wood form, is the ancient source of energy for humans,
historically by direct combustion in a highly inefficient method. Alternatively, the
conversion of biomass to liquid and gaseous fuels, electricity, as well as hydrogen is
definitely an additional effective technique for using biomass (Desika et al. 2018).
There are some efficient processes for extracting hydrogen from biomass within this
context which are not yet completely developed, and so the use of biomass as a
major feedstock is gaining considerable interest (Winny et al. 2020). Biomass
hydrogen has many advantages such as independence from oil imports, net product
stays in the country, stable price rates, and also an increase in the CO 2 balance which
80
L. Gangadhar et al.