Simulation of Hydrogen Gas Production Process from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) Combine with Carbon Capture Based on Aspen Plus Software

This research discusses the biomass gasification process for hydrogen production, integrated with a carbon capture process for product purification. A new simulation model was developed in Aspen Plus, incorporating a gasifier, a water–gas shift (WGS) reactor, and a carbon capture unit. Oil palm empty fruit bunches were selected as the biomass feedstock. The simulation investigated the effects of different gasification agents (O₂, air, and steam) and gasifier operating temperatures on hydrogen yield. It also evaluated the influence of MDEA solvent flow rate on CO₂ capture efficiency. Results showed that using a mixture of O₂ and steam with a ratio of 0.5 at 800 °C produced favorable outcomes, with negligible impurities. The addition of steam in the WGS reactor enhanced hydrogen production, with the highest yield achieved at a steam ratio of 0.6. A 2:1 molar ratio of MDEA to CO₂ resulted in up to 99.9% carbon dioxide removal.