Biological Processes in the Green Hydrogen Value Chain

Dear Colleagues,

Green hydrogen may play a pivotal role in tackling climate change, ensuring renewable clean energy availability, improving resource efficiency and protecting the environment. However, green hydrogen must be turned into a viable solution to boost the transition from an unsustainable, fossil-based paradigm to a sustainable economy/society with hydrogen as its main pillar.

Hydrogen is an intermediate product of many metabolic processes. It can be produced from the degradation of organic matter by fermentation, from water via biophotolysis or, with the addition of a small potential, via microbial electrolysis.

Moreover, microorganisms can use hydrogen as a source of reducing power to produce a large spectrum of chemical building blocks of industrial interest or biomethane as an energy carrier. These abilities can be exploited for the development of biotechnological processes.

Biological processes may enable the valorization of biowaste into the green hydrogen value chain and also the conversion of excess electricity from nondispatchable renewable energy sources into easily storable chemical energy (power-to-gas) or bio-based products.

In such a scenario, innovative technologies based on hydrogen-related biological processes can be fully integrated into the green hydrogen value chain and boost the transition from fossil-based refineries to a new biorefinery concept.

This Special Issue aims to present a collection of original research and review papers that address research advances in technologies, process integration and their contribution to the sustainable inclusion of biological processes in the green hydrogen value chain. Studies that assess the sustainability (environmental, economic or social) aspects of hydrogen-related biological processes are welcomed as well.

Furthermore, any aspect concerning biological hydrogen production and/or use will be covered in this Special Issue, including but not limited to the following:

• biohydrogen production by dark fermentation;
• biohydrogen production by photofermentation;
• biohydrogen production by algae;
• microbial electrolysis cells;
• bioprocesses for hydrogen utilization;
• biomethanation;
• bioelectrochemical systems;
• hydrogen fermentation;
• biological water gas shift;
• biorefinery deployment, and case studies;
• sustainability assessment of biohydrogen processes;
• environmental LCA and eco-design of biohydrogen processes;
• technoeconomic assessment of biohydrogen processes (LCC);
• biohydrogen deployment scenarios and social aspects.

Dr. Antonella Marone
Dr. Alessandro Agostini
Dr. Claire Dumas
Guest Editors

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