Exploiting agricultural biomass via thermochemical processes for sustainable hydrogen and bioenergy: A critical review.

Fossil fuels are deemed to diminish because of their limited availability, no renewability, and emissions of greenhouse gases and other poisonous materials to the atmosphere and the ecosystem. Renewable energy based on sustainable biomass has occupied an increasing share of the energy system over the past decade. Among several massively cultivated crops worldwide, corn, sugarcane bagasse, and soybean straws are some of the leading agricultural by-products that can generate substantial energy (e.g., biofuels, hydrogen) as vital sustainable energy to substitute non-renewable fossil fuels. This paper aims to review recent progress in renewable energy generation from biomass based on thermochemical techniques-i.e., gasification, pyrolysis, and liquefaction-detailed technical features and their application for extraction energy from biomass. The quality, composition, and productivity of renewable energy extracted from biomass based on existing thermochemical techniques are compared, and their technical dependencies upon the thermochemical processes are discussed. Furthermore, analysis of technical deficiencies of existing methods, and exploration of innovative emerging technologies for high-efficiency and high-quality renewable energy generation from biomass straws. In general, biomass gasification stands out as the most efficient technique for hydrogen production (HP) from biomass due to mature technology, high hydrogen yield, and potential for integration with other presented techniques. [Display omitted] • A detailed review of HP from biomass using thermochemical techniques. • Discussion about gasification, pyrolysis, and liquefication working principles. • Comparison between all types of presented thermal techniques. • Advantages and disadvantages of gasification, pyrolysis, and liquefication. • Overall performance of all thermal techniques presented in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]