Biowaste to Biohydrogen

The increasing demand for sustainable and renewable energy sources has encouraged significant interest in biohydrogen as a clean and more efficient alternative to fossil fuels. This chapter explains the potential of biowaste as an efficient and cheaper raw material for biohydrogen generation, highlighting its role in solving both waste management and energy production issues. Biowaste, derived from industrial, agricultural, and municipal sources, is a rich source of organic matter that can be valorized through biological processes such as photofermentation, dark fermentation, and microbial electrolysis. The chapter discusses the mechanisms of these processes and emphasizes the role of microbial communities in converting complex organic compounds in biowaste to hydrogen gas. Key factors influencing biohydrogen production, including composition of substrate, pretreatment methods, and process optimization, are discussed in the chapter. Moreover, the environmental and economic benefits of using biowaste for biohydrogen production are studied, underlining its potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote a circular economy. Challenges such as process scalability, low yield of hydrogen, and technological limitations are also discussed, along with recent developments in bioreactor design and genetic engineering of hydrogen-producing microorganisms. By compiling scientific and technological perspectives, this chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of biowaste as a sustainable and cleaner substrate for biohydrogen production, making the way for future research and industrial applications.