New review shows how biomass can deliver low-carbon gaseous fuels at scale

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Techno-economic and life-cycle assessments of biomass thermochemical conversion into gaseous fuels

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Credit: Muhammad Saddam Hussain, Meng Shi, Shiyu Zhang, Yeshui Zhang, Xuan Bie, Qinghai Li, Yanguo Zhang, Sebastian Lubjuhn, Sandra Venghaus, & Hui Zhou

A new comprehensive review highlights how converting biomass into gaseous fuels such as hydrogen, methane, and syngas could play a critical role in the global transition to low-carbon energy systems. By combining techno-economic analysis with life-cycle assessment, the study provides one of the clearest pictures to date of when and where biomass-based gaseous fuels can be both climate-friendly and economically viable.

The review, published in Energy & Environment Nexus, examines thermochemical conversion pathways that transform agricultural residues, forestry waste, and other non-food biomass into clean gaseous fuels. These fuels can be used for electricity generation, industrial heat, transportation, and as building blocks for chemicals and synthetic fuels.

“Biomass is unique among renewable energy sources because it can store carbon-based chemical energy,” said corresponding author Hui Zhou. “If designed properly, biomass conversion systems can not only replace fossil fuels but also achieve net negative greenhouse gas emissions when paired with carbon capture.”

The authors analyzed dozens of previous studies to identify the main factors shaping performance and cost. Feedstock type, moisture content, local supply chains, and technology maturity all strongly influence outcomes. High moisture biomass, common in tropical regions, can significantly increase energy use and operating costs, while locally sourced feedstocks can improve both economics and emissions performance.

A key contribution of the review is its integration of techno-economic analysis with life-cycle assessment. Techno-economic analysis evaluates capital costs, operating expenses, and market competitiveness, while life-cycle assessment measures environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions across the full production chain.

“Looking at cost or emissions alone can be misleading,” said co-corresponding author Sandra Venghaus. “Our review shows that some pathways that look expensive today may become highly competitive under carbon pricing or supportive policy frameworks, while others only deliver climate benefits under specific regional conditions.”

The analysis reveals that several biomass-to-gas pathways can outperform fossil fuels in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, especially when combined with carbon capture and storage. In some cases, these systems can remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they emit over their life cycle. However, the authors caution that uncertainties in modeling assumptions and data quality remain a major challenge.

Technology readiness also varies widely. Some gasification and methanation systems are already operating at near-commercial scale, while others, such as supercritical water gasification, remain at early demonstration stages. Catalyst degradation, system integration, and high capital costs continue to limit large-scale deployment.

Beyond technical and economic factors, the review highlights social and environmental trade-offs. Expanding biomass supply chains can create rural jobs and support local economies, but may also intensify land-use pressures and fuel concerns about competition between food and energy production if not carefully managed.

The authors emphasize the importance of modular, locally adapted biorefineries that use regionally available residues rather than dedicated energy crops. They also call for stronger policy support, standardized assessment methods, and better integration of social considerations into energy planning.

“Biomass-based gaseous fuels are not a silver bullet,” Zhou said. “But with the right technology choices, sustainable feedstocks, and consistent policies, they can become a powerful part of a diversified, low-carbon energy portfolio.”

The review provides a roadmap for researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers seeking to scale biomass-derived gaseous fuels in ways that are both economically sound and environmentally responsible.

 

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Journal reference: Hussain MS, Shi M, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Bie X, et al. 2025. Techno-economic and life-cycle assessments of biomass thermochemical conversion into gaseous fuels. Energy & Environment Nexus 1: e014  

https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/een-0025-0015  

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About Energy & Environment Nexus:
Energy & Environment Nexus (e-ISSN 3070-0582) is an open-access journal publishing high-quality research on the interplay between energy systems and environmental sustainability, including renewable energy, carbon mitigation, and green technologies.

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DOI

10.48130/een-0025-0015 

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Techno-economic and life-cycle assessments of biomass thermochemical conversion into gaseous fuels

 

Too much hydrogen? Scientists reveal how metabolic shifts and viral defense in syngas microbiomes

Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences

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Workflow of syngas biomethanation under increasing hydrogen ratios. This schematic illustrates the experimental workflow used to evaluate how hydrogen enrichment affects syngas-converting microbiomes. Cultures were initially supplied with baseline syngas (69% H₂, 16% CO₂, 15% CO), followed by stepwise hydrogen increases to 77% and 84%. Samples collected across stages were analyzed using metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and virome profiling to track changes in microbial composition, viral populations, and metabolic pathways. The approach enabled quantitative comparison of community abundance and activity, revealing metabolic reprogramming and defense activation under hydrogen-rich conditions.

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Credit: Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

Syngas biomethanation—converting CO/CO₂/H₂ into renewable methane—relies on coordinated microbial interactions. This study reveals that excess hydrogen disrupts this balance, reducing methanogenesis efficiency and triggering major shifts in microbial metabolism and viral dynamics. Under hydrogen-rich conditions, the key methanogen Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus downregulates methane-producing pathways while activating defense systems such as CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification mechanisms. Meanwhile, acetogenic bacteria intensify carbon fixation through the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway, acting as alternative electron sinks. The findings uncover a previously unclear mechanism of thermodynamic stress and microbiome-virus interplay, offering guidance for optimizing microbial consortia in syngas-to-methane conversion. 

Biomethanation provides an energy-efficient, low-carbon alternative to thermochemical gas conversion, turning biomass-derived syngas into biomethane for circular energy systems. The performance of this process depends on balanced microbial metabolism, where hydrogenotrophic methanogens reduce CO₂ using H₂, supported by acetogens and syntrophic partners. However, syngas composition fluctuates during industrial operation, and the metabolic response to hydrogen excess is poorly understood. Traditional studies observed performance drops at high H₂ supply, but lacked molecular-level mechanistic explanation regarding microbial regulation and viral interactions. Due to these uncertainties, deeper investigation into microbial and viral responses under hydrogen-rich conditions is needed.

Researchers from the University of Padua reported on a 2025 early-access study (DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2025.100637) in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology demonstrating how hydrogen surplus alters microbiome metabolism and triggers viral defense responses in syngas-converting systems. Using genome-resolved metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and virome profiling, the team monitored microbiomes as syngas composition shifted from optimal ratios to hydrogen-rich conditions. Their findings uncover a stress-driven metabolic reorganization and highlight phage dynamics as a significant ecological dimension in biomethanation efficiency.

The study cultivated thermophilic anaerobic microbiomes under three syngas compositions and applied multi-omics analysis to track responses before and after hydrogen increase. Under near-optimal gas ratios, methane yield improved and the dominant methanogen Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus maintained stable gene expression. However, when hydrogen supply exceeded stoichiometric demand, methane production declined and transcriptome analysis revealed strong metabolic repression. Key methanogenesis genes—including mcr, hdr, mvh, and enzymes in CO₂-to-CH₄ reduction—were significantly downregulated.

Simultaneously, M. thermautotrophicus activated antiviral defense systems, upregulating CRISPR-Cas, restriction-modification genes, and stress markers such as ftsZ. Virome mapping identified 190 viral species, including phages linked to major methanogens and acetogens. Some viruses showed reduced activity, suggesting defense-driven suppression, while others exhibited active replication patterns. In contrast, several acetogenic taxa—including Tepidanaerobacteraceae—enhanced expression of Wood–Ljungdahl pathway genes (cdh, acs, cooF, cooS) to boost CO/CO₂ fixation and act as electron sinks. This reprogramming indicates a shift from methanogenesis to carbon-fixation-dominant metabolism when hydrogen is excessive.

The authors emphasize that hydrogen excess creates a regulatory bottleneck, pushing methanogens into stress mode while enabling acetogens to take over carbon metabolism. They note that viral interactions—previously overlooked in biomethanation—play a major role in shaping community stability. The team points out that CRISPR-Cas activation and phage suppression indicate a defensive state, suggesting that virome dynamics must be considered in bioreactor design.

This research provides molecular-level evidence that hydrogen oversupply can destabilize methane production, highlighting the need for gas-ratio control in industrial reactors. Understanding how microbial populations reprogram under stress can guide engineering of more resilient biomethanation systems, enabling consistent biomethane yields even with variable feedstocks. The insights into phage-microbe interactions further suggest potential for virome-aware reactor management strategies, including microbial community design, phage monitoring, or antiviral interventions. These findings support future development of carbon-neutral gas-to-energy technologies and scalable waste-to-resource platforms.

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References

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2025.100637

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2025.100637

Funding information

This work was supported by the LIFE20 CCM/GR/001642 – LIFE CO2toCH4 of the European Union LIFE + program and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101084405 (CRONUS).

About Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (ISSN 2666-4984) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal published by Elsevier. The journal publishes significant views and research across the full spectrum of ecology and environmental sciences, such as climate change, sustainability, biodiversity conservation, environment & health, green catalysis/processing for pollution control, and AI-driven environmental engineering. The latest impact factor of ESE is 14.3, according to the Journal Citation ReportsTM 2024.

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Journal

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2025.100637 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Hydrogen excess drives metabolic reprogramming and viral dynamics in syngas-converting microbiomes

 

Rekind Accelerates Development of Biomass Pyrolysis Technology in Indonesia

Published Dec 28, 2025 10:27 AM by The Maritime Executive

[By: RINA]

PT Rekayasa Industri (Rekind), Advanced Energy Solutions (AES), and RINA, the multinational engineering consultancy, inspection and certification group, have officially formed a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of biomass pyrolysis technology in Indonesia.

This collaborative step was confirmed through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of The Carbon Digital Conference (CDC) 2025, which took place at the West Hall of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) on December 8–9, 2025.

This collaboration is expected to encourage the commercial-scale production of bio-energy, bio-methanol, and bio-char, while also strengthening the utilization of the nation's abundant biomass resources.

Biomass Pyrolysis technology is typically a process of treating organic materials, such as agricultural waste, wood, sawdust, palm shells, empty fruit bunches, or crop residues, through high-temperature heating in the absence of oxygen. The goal is to break down the biomass structure into three main products:

• Bio-oil (pyrolysis oil): Can be used as fuel or processed into chemical products.
• Syngas: A gas that can be utilized to generate energy or electricity.
• Bio-char: High-quality charcoal that can be used to support agricultural activities, adsorbents, or other industrial applications. 

According to Rekind's CEO, Triyani Utaminingsih, this cooperation is a strategic step in accelerating the clean energy transition in the country. “Indonesia has enormous biomass potential. Through this collaboration, we want to ensure this potential can be processed into renewable energy and high-value products that support a sustainable economy,” she stated.

Through this cooperation, Rekind, a national Industrial Process EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) company with over four decades of experience in the energy and infrastructure industry, will lead the aspects of engineering, technology integration, and preparation for future EPC execution.

Rekind's capability in managing national strategic mega-projects across various sectors gives it confidence to spearhead the development of new-generation clean energy technology in Indonesia. “We are committed to delivering solutions that are not only innovative but also relevant to industry needs and national energy policy,” she added.

AES, a global clean energy company, will provide advanced pyrolysis technology capable of converting biomass waste and agricultural residues into renewable energy and various commercially valuable derivative products. This technology can produce syngas, bio-oil, and bio-char while helping to reduce emissions. With this environmentally friendly approach, AES provides solutions that support circular-economy practices.

“The signing of the agreement with PT Rekayasa and RINA is a truly important milestone. This partnership brings together our company’s shared commitments for technology Innovation, environmental and social responsibility together with company long-term growth. We are looking forward to the positive impact we’ll be able to create”, said Gianni Marziali, CEO of AES.

Meanwhile, RINA will play a crucial role as the technical consultant. The company will conduct a comprehensive study covering process design, technology evaluation, system integration, economic studies, as well as safety and environmental aspects. With international-standard engineering benchmarks, RINA will ensure every project stage meets global best practices and is financially viable.

Michele Budetta, CEO of RINA Consulting, commented, “This collaboration marks a key step in unlocking Indonesia’s biomass potential and advancing its clean energy transition. By combining RINA’s engineering expertise with Rekind’s capabilities and AES’s technology, we aim to accelerate commercial-scale biomass pyrolysis. Together, we seek to turn agricultural residues and biomass waste into clean energy and valuable products, supporting a circular economy and Indonesia’s transition goals.”

Through this collaboration, the three companies agree to build scalable and sustainable biomass solutions. This project also opens up significant opportunities for the development of the biomass-based biofuel industry, which is expected to support emission reduction targets and strengthen national energy security in the future.

“This initiative is not just about technology; it’s also about the future of Indonesia’s energy. We want to ensure that the transformation towards clean energy can take place quickly, accurately, and provide the greatest benefits for the public and industry,” Triyani Utaminingsih affirmed.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

 

Scientists suggest nuclear waste may fuel a

clean energy revolution

University of Sharjah

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Hydrogen production unit from nuclear waste proposed by Vandenborre et al. (Vandenborre et al., 2024).

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Credit: Nuclear Engineering and Design (2025). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114511

Nuclear waste remains a major environmental hazard due to its long-lasting radioactivity, which can persist for thousands of years. However, new research by University of Sharjah scientists, published in the journal Nuclear Engineering and Design, suggests that nuclear waste could offer a sustainable pathway for long-term hydrogen production.

Hydrogen is currently recognized as a promising clean energy carrier, and scientists are actively pursuing novel methods to produce it. The study explores how nuclear waste, traditionally viewed as a liability, could be repurposed to generate hydrogen on an industrial scale.

Globally, the volume of nuclear waste is piling up. Accounting for varying levels of radioactivity, it is estimated that more than 4 million cubic meters of nuclear waste are currently stored worldwide.

“Utilizing nuclear waste is a novel method of producing hydrogen that transforms a persistent environmental issue into a useful resource,” the researchers note. “Hydrogen has become a promising energy carrier as the need for sustainable and clean energy sources increases globally.”

The scientists’ optimism about converting nuclear waste into hydrogen is based on a comprehensive review of currently available innovative technologies that harness radioactivity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen without emitting carbon dioxide.

The researchers write, “Based on the existing research, it was found that nuclear waste can significantly enhance hydrogen generation through a variety of advanced methods, including catalyst-enhanced electrolysis, methane reforming, and thermochemical cycles.

“Other promising techniques involve radiation-enhanced electrolysis cells, feeding radioactive waste into a heater to generate electricity for powering electrolysis cells, radiolysis, and liquid plasma photocatalysis.”

The research presents a detailed and comprehensive survey of current methods developed to recycle nuclear waste into hydrogen.

Among the most promising, according to the authors, is radiation-enhanced electrolysis. This novel process, the scientists say, can boost hydrogen yield by up to tenfold compared to traditional electrolysis. This technology offers a much faster and more efficient route to hydrogen production from nuclear waste, the scientists claim.

Reassessing previous research, the authors identify uranium-based catalysis as cost-effective, both in terms of material availability and overall expense.  “Using uranium-based catalysts reduces the need for rare and expensive metals,” they argue, noting “high cost and scarcity create an urgent need for (the adoption) of more affordable alternatives.”

In uranium-based catalysis as a technique, uranium compounds serve as catalysts – substances that can speed up chemical reactions, particularly in the context of hydrogen from water, a promising path for sustainable energy. This approach is gaining attention in academic circles.

The paper also recommends two additional hydrogen-generating technologies: Methane reforming using uranium-based catalysts, which can reduce carbon buildup and improve hydrogen yield, and liquid-phase plasma photocatalysis, a method that enhances hydrogen production from nuclear wastewater.

The authors critically examine the limitations and challenges associated with these methods, including “the risk of syngas contamination, chemical modification of the catalyst, and stringent regulations that hinder research progress in this field.”

Nevertheless, they emphasize the advantages of the proposed techniques, stating that they “have several advantages, including lowering the amount of radioactive waste, lowering the requirement for long-term storage, and supplying a steady supply of hydrogen.”

The authors present a thorough review that also reveals persistent gaps in the field of hydrogen generation from nuclear waste. These gaps, they say, future scientific research must address. “Research in this area remains limited and scattered, underscoring the need for further investigation,” they stress.

They point to a “significant obstacle” for scientists researching to advance technologies focusing on converting nuclear waste to hydrogen. This barrier, according to the study, is represented in the stringent regulatory framework imposed on accessing and handling radioactive material and radioactive waste.

“Most of the available literature relies on external radiation sources to simulate the effects of radioactive waste, which may compromise the accuracy and real-world applicability of the findings,” they maintain, adding that while regulation was essential, “strict regulations hinder innovation.”

The review systematically examines current approaches to hydrogen production from nuclear waste, including enhanced electrolysis cells, radiolysis processes, thermochemical cycles, radioelectrolysis cells, and methane reforming techniques.

 According to the authors, “These methods show promise in increasing the amount of hydrogen produced, decreasing the need for costly and rare elements, and lessening the long-term environmental effects of nuclear waste.”

They further demonstrate that hydrogen output in radiolysis processes is significantly affected by several variables, such as the addition of formic acid (yield increases up to 12-fold), temperature (up to fivefold increase), irradiation duration, and catalyst type, including TiO2 (Rutile phase) and ZrO2, emerging as particularly effective catalysts.

The authors conclude by stressing the importance of collaboration across sectors: “In order to overcome technical, regulatory, and financial obstacles in the future, it will be crucial to promote cooperation between scientific research institutions, legislators, and industry stakeholders.”

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Journal

Nuclear Engineering and Design

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Nuclear waste for hydrogen production: methods, advantages, and future perspectives

Article Publication Date

15-Dec-2025

Several classes of radioactive waste in total volumes in storage and disposal.

Credit

Nuclear Engineering and Design (2025). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114511

Proportions of spent fuel components (Borges Silverio and de Q. Lamas, 2011).

Credit

Nuclear Engineering and Design (2025). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114511