Chapter 19 - Clean biological hydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cell

Abstract

Due to an accelerated rise in greenhouse gases emissions over the last decades, climate change is now one of the most pervasive issues of the 21st century. An increase in global energy demand combined with the finite nature of fossil fuels, as well as the pressure to achieve a low-carbon economy, have fuelled the current race for renewable and sustainable energy alternatives. Biohydrogen has emerged as an attractive energy source that is clean, renewable, and energy-dense. The production of hydrogen in a microbial electrolysis cell has tremendous potential and could be integrated into a global hydrogen economy, however, further research is required for the technology to reach large-scale production. This chapter provides a clear picture of issues that need to be addressed to attain industrial-scale clean biohydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells and presents an overview of the recent technological advances that address these roadblocks to a global hydrogen economy.