Journal of Nanoscience and Nanomaterials

ABSTRACT

There is currently a paradigm shift from fossil based to biobased resources for the production of energy to attain the United Nations (UN) sustainability development goals related to good health, well-being, renewable and clean energy so as to overcome the catastrophic effects of climate change. Among various energy sources, the hydrogen energy stands out as the combustion of the fuel is free from CO ₂ emissions. The hydrogen produced is indeed green if the energy used for the production of hydrogen from renewable sources like water electrolysis and the fermentation of carbonhydyrates, too comes from renewable sources like the solar energy, wind energy and the like rather than the electricity from the coal fired power plants. Efforts are ongoing in this direction and enormous advances have been made. Indeed, green hydrogen will be the energy source of the future provided, the currently set target by the United States (US) department of energy (DoE), namely, supplying hydrogen at the price of 1 USD/kg is realized by 2030. Fermentation process holds the key for green hydrogen production and supply at competitive prices. There are major obstacles towards the commercialization of green hydrogen as a substitute to the fossil fuels and the electric vehicles (EVs) that have been extensively used for transportation application. However, a transition to hydrogen economy can facilitate attaining the UN sustainable development goals, namely, the affordable and clean energy (goal 7) and climate action (goal 13). Thus the scope of the current status report is to highlight the latest advances made in green hydrogen production as well as distribution. We surmise that this report would serve as a standard protocol and user manual to the policy makers and investors dealing with the integration of green hydrogen with the transportation sector.

Keywords: Climate Change; Renewable Energy; Clean Energy; Green Hydrogen; Biohydrogen; Dark Fermentation; Photofermentation; Solar Fermentation