Chinese simultaneously produce hydrogen from waste and sewage while absorbing CO₂.

Chinese team reveals a new method for producing biogenic hydrogen

*Main idea*: fermenting organic waste while simultaneously capturing CO₂ → clean hydrogen and a carbon‑neutral process.

1. What the researchers do – microorganisms convert agricultural, food, and other biofuel wastes in an anaerobic environment (no light or oxygen).

- The result is hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

2. How the CO₂ problem is solved – after primary fermentation, reagents are added that bind the released CO₂, turning it into an insoluble precipitate (calcite).

- This eliminates the need to vent gas and increases overall plant efficiency.

3. Key component – wollastonite – the mineral CaSiO₃ regulates medium acidity, stabilizes bacteria, and promotes CO₂ mineralization.

- At a dosage of 10 g/L:
- Hydrogen production time decreased by ~50 %.
- Specific hydrogen yield increased by about 33 %.

4. Experimental results

5. Why this matters
- Economics: expected payback period – 6–7 years at industrial scale.
- Energy: bioreforming consumes less electricity than water electrolysis and uses cheap feedstock (waste).
- Environment: simultaneously addresses waste disposal and CO₂ emission reduction.

6. Prospective applications
- Agro‑industrial plants and wastewater treatment facilities that generate large volumes of organic material daily.
- Potential to create a “green” energy source on site.

Conclusion: If the technology can be scaled up, it could become a key element of China’s (and other countries’) hydrogen economy, combining waste processing with clean fuel production.