Fuelling the hydrogen economy with straw and old newspapers

Waste materials like straw and old newspapers could one day provide clean energy, thanks to a new process that converts non-food biomass into a stream of pure hydrogen. The researchers behind the work hope that this technology could enable agricultural and urban wastes to contribute to a future hydrogen economy.

As the world attempts to decarbonise its energy supply, hydrogen is expected to play a major role in filling the gap left by traditional fuels. Biomass is one potential renewable source of hydrogen, but turning these materials into hydrogen relies on high temperatures and pressures. Another problem with this approach is that the hydrogen produced from biomass often requires additional downstream purification before it can be used.