Paper details

Title:

Renewable Hydrogen from Sugarcane Residues through Biomass Gasification

Author(s):

Restrepo Valencia, S., Seabra, J.

Document(s):

Abstract:

This study evaluates the techno-economic performance of renewable hydrogen production from sugarcane residues in Brazil under three scenarios. The first scenario considers only surplus bagasse from a sugarcane mill. The second includes both bagasse and sugarcane straw as feedstocks, while the third incorporates Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS). Hydrogen production was simulated via oxygen-blown gasification with integrated syngas cleanup and pressure swing adsorption. In the BECCS case, CO2 was captured from the combustion of syngas purge gases and compressed for geological storage. Results show that hydrogen production increases with biomass availability, reaching 40,937 tons per year in the straw-inclusive scenario. The BECCS configuration enabled the capture of 544,000 tons of CO2 annually, though hydrogen output was reduced due to the reallocation of bagasse to supply steam for capture. All systems achieved positive energy balances, with Cases 2 and 3 exporting electricity to the grid. The lowest hydrogen production cost was achieved in the bagasse-plus-straw scenario (1,524 USD/t). The study demonstrates that sugarcane-based hydrogen production is technically feasible and potentially scalable in Brazil, with the BECCS configuration offering climate benefits through negative emissions.

Keywords:

bioenergy, biofuel, CO₂ capture

Topic:

Biomass Conversion to Intermediate Bioenergy Carriers and Sustainable Biofuels

Subtopic:

Biofuels and synthetic fuels from biomass and hydrogen

Event:

33rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

5BV.4.9

Pages:

972 - 978

ISBN:

978-88-89407-25-7

Paper DOI:

10.5071/33rdEUBCE2025-5BV.4.9

Price:

FREE