Exploring biomass pyrolysis for sustainable hydrogen-rich gas production

The growing environmental concerns, particularly global warming, along with the exponential rise in energy demand, are driving the need for clean energy production. Biomass pyrolysis has emerged as a promising thermochemical conversion process for producing valuable products such as pyrolytic gas, bio-oil, and biochar. Over time, new and advanced catalytic pyrolysis has significantly improved hydrogen production efficiency, offering notable advantages over conventional thermochemical routes and making them more viable for industrial implementations. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of renewable hydrogen production strategies, emphasizing pyrolytic gas and bio-oil reforming, as well as integrated approaches combining biomass pyrolysis with in-line catalytic reforming. The critical factors influencing hydrogen yield, process efficiency, and catalyst performance are systematically examined alongside a discussion of recent breakthroughs and emerging research trends. Furthermore, the existing challenges and limitations associated with these reforming strategies are explored, focusing on potential optimizations to enhance process viability. Moreover, the potential for scaling these processes to industrial applications is critically assessed.