Biohydrogen production from waste substrates and its techno-economic analysis

Abstract

The demand for alternative energy is increasing considerably due to the fast depletion of fossil fuel reserves and increasing greenhouse gases emission, causing serious climate change. Among various alternative energy sources, biohydrogen (H2) has achieved major traction due to its distinct properties like high-energy content, recyclability, and production of water on the combustion process. Although several processes are adopted for hydrogen production from a wide range of substrates, utilization of organic feedstock using dark fermentation has proven to be one of the most promising methods among all. However, the raw material cost, which contributes around 70%–80% of the total production expenses, is the major hurdle in the successful commercialization of this process. Organic wastes can be used as an alternative to pure carbons for the reduction of production cost. This chapter summarizes biohydrogen production from various waste substrates, its production process, microorganisms involved, fermentation approaches, and various factors that influence the production along with major advantages and challenges. Additionally, techno-economic analysis of biohydrogen production on an industrial scale from various organic wastes is also discussed in detail. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.