Researchers develop green hydrogen production from industrial and agricultural waste

Researchers in Brazil and South Africa have developed new methods to convert industrial and agricultural waste into green hydrogen and clean water.

In Brazil, scientists from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) created a nanomaterial using iron oxide from steel industry waste and hydroxyapatite from seashells. When activated by sunlight, this material can degrade water pollutants, such as methylene blue, while simultaneously generating hydrogen fuel.

In South Africa, researchers at the University of Johannesburg have identified a more efficient industrial process for converting sugarcane waste, known as bagasse, into green hydrogen. Using a process simulation called Sorption-enhanced chemical looping gasification (SECLG), the team found a way to produce hydrogen with higher energy efficiency and fewer unwanted byproducts, such as tar and carbon monoxide, compared to traditional biomass gasification methods.