Production of hydrogen from renewable resources and its effectiveness

At present, hydrogen is used mainly in a chemical industry for production of ammonia and methanol. In the near future, hydrogen will become a significant fuel which can solve the local problems connected with an air quality. Because the hydrogen is most widespread component on the Earth, it can be obtained from a number of sources, both renewable and non-renewable, moreover, by various processes. Pure hydrogen can be acquired by the energy-demanding electrolysis of water. Global production has so far been dominated by hydrogen production from fossil fuels, with the most significant contemporary technologies being the reforming of hydrocarbons, pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis. In the near future, biological method can be used. This work is aimed to an evaluation of possibilities of the hydrogen production from the renewable sources by biological methods and comparison of effectiveness with the conventional methods. Copyright (C) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.