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Updated: May 30, 2026

Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production
Published on: June 15, 2014
Techno-economic comparison of a biological hydrogen process and a 2nd generation ethanol process using barley straw
M Ljunggren1, O Wallberg, G Zacchi
1Chemical Engineering, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund 221 00, Sweden.
Abstract:
A process combining dark fermentation and photofermentation for production of hydrogen is interesting due to its potential of producing hydrogen at a high yields. In this study, the hydrogen process is compared to a 2nd generation ethanol process with respect to cost and with the aim of increasing our understanding of the pros and cons and giving a clear picture of the present status of the two processes. The hydrogen production cost was found to be about 20 times higher than the ethanol production cost, 421.7 €/GJ compared to 19.5 €/GJ. The main drawbacks of the hydrogen process are its low productivity, low energy efficiency, and the high cost of buffer and base required to control the pH.
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