Life Cycle Energy Assessment of biohydrogen production via biogas steam reforming: Case study of biogas plant on a farm in Serbia

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate and to quantify energy flows in a life cycle of biogas to biohydrogen production, starting from feedstock materials via anaerobic digestion, biogas upgrading, biohydrogen production, to the end of biogas system (application of digestate as fertilizer in agriculture). The performance of the biogas plant of Mirotin dairy farm in Serbia has been assessed. According to Life Cycle Energy Assessment approach, results obtained in this study have shown that biohydrogen production via biogas steam reforming has negative energy balance (with -16,837 GJ). It has also been demonstrated that this process is energy unsustainable in an environmental context. In future analysis it would be necessary to consider the other aspects of sustainability, e.g. the economical and social factors in order to estimate the overall sustainability of the biogas utilization pathways, especially having in mind that the technology of converting biogas to hydrogen is still in the development phase.