Production of Renewable Hydrogen: Prospects and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

Due to its availability and the flexibility of its production, which can make a decisive contribution to the decarbonization of energy systems, hydrogen has been identified as an energy source with enormous potential for the future. It can be produced from fossil fuels, water, and biomass via different methods; although, current hydrogen production relies almost entirely on the reforming and gasification of fossil hydrocarbon sources such as natural gas and coal. In order to obtain hydrogen sustainably, technologies that use renewable raw materials must be developed.

A great deal of focus has been given to “green hydrogen”, produced from water electrolysis using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. However, many technical and economic challenges still need to be overcome, such as the cost of production, energy consumption, electrode performance, and material durability, among others. On the other hand, biomass can be used as an alternative feedstock for hydrogen production, not only because it is renewable but also because it is a CO₂-neutral energy source. Biomass-derived compounds, such as ethanol, glycerol, and butanol, can be used in the aqueous phase or steam reforming for hydrogen production. Bio-oil, produced by fast biomass pyrolysis, is also an attractive feedstock for hydrogen production, aligned with prospects of establishing an integrated biorefinery. Biogas, produced by anaerobic digestion of biomasses or organic wastes, is another attractive alternative for renewable hydrogen production. These biomass-based processes also face a lot of challenges such as the development of active catalysts, with high hydrogen yields and on-stream stability over time.

This Special Issue on the “Production of Renewable Hydrogen: Prospects and Challenges” aims to present the current state of affairs in terms of renewable hydrogen production and the challenges faced in terms of scaling up existing processes. Particularly welcome are high-quality research studies and reviews dealing with the development of new materials for electrolytic cells and catalysts for reforming and biomass conversion processes.

Prof. Dr. Mariana de Mattos V. M. Souza
Guest Editor

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• hydrogen
• renewables
• electrolysis
• biomass
• reforming
• catalysts