Life cycle assessment of 1 kg hydrogen production utilizing dry reforming of biogas produced via anaerobic co-digestion of biomass

The energy demand is experiencing an upward trajectory, primarily driven by the utilization of fossil fuel resources. However, due to fuel shortage, rising demand, and environmental concerns, people are seeking green alternatives. Hydrogen fuel is a clean, efficient, and renewable option. This research investigates the synthesis of hydrogen via the dry reforming process of biogas produced through the anaerobic co-digestion method. It also addresses the study of the life cycle assessment of both renewable and non-renewable hydrogen production routes. A life cycle assessment has been performed using 1 kg of hydrogen generation as the functional unit. A cradle-to-gate analysis has been considered for this study. A definitive system boundary has been considered from biomass generation to 1 kg H₂ production. It includes building several units, catalysts, biomass and water transportation, cooling water supply, heat and electricity distribution, etc. For the entire procedure, a well-calculated inventory has been established. The evaluation of environmental footprints has been performed using the software openLCA. Five impact categories (climate change, ozone depletion, acidification, particulate matter formation, and freshwater eutrophication) were investigated and compared to a renewable and a non-renewable method from a previous investigation. The effectiveness of implementing anaerobic co-digestion for producing H₂ over conventional coal gasification and renewable electrolysis is described and also demonstrated by graphs. This study reveals that anaerobic co-digestion is preferable to energy-intensive electrolysis and coal gasification, despite its considerable particulate matter impact.