Biohydrogen: Global trend and future perspective

Abstract

Global utilisation of confi ned and traded hydrogen is projected to increase more than 300 billion cubic meters through 2018 with an annual growth rate of 3.5%. The maximum share of growth through 2018 is likely to occur in China though the world’s largest hydrogen consumption will continue with the USA. This view is supported by the published research in the recent past. Published articles on biohydrogen research are highest from China followed by the USA and India. Published data on biohydrogen also suggested that biohydrogen production from the Asian countries is mainly focusing on dark fermentation, whilst the European countries are focusing on dark and photofermentation. So far, the current biohydrogen production system is appropriate for decentralised small-scale systems, integrated with waste from agriculture and industries or from wasteprocessing facilities, using reactors operating with mixed microfl ora (aerobic, anaerobic, thermophilic, purple non-sulphur photosynthetic bacteria) or pure cultures enriched from natural sources. Seed inocula for biohydrogen production have been obtained from heat sludge, compost, waste water, food waste, etc. With many social, economic and environmental benefi ts, hydrogen energy is considered as a future of the sustainable energy source.