Techno-economic comparison of a biological hydrogen process and a 2nd generation ethanol process using barley straw as feedstock

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.