Food Waste to Hydrogen Bioreactor
Food Waste to Hydrogen Bioreactor
technology application

Food Waste to Hydrogen Bioreactor

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updatedAug 31, 2023
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Handy Wicaksono @ unsplash.com

Renewable, carbon-neutral hydrogen fuel can be produced from everyday food waste through microbial electrolysis. This modular and decentralized system can be configured onsite and scaled up or down depending on the output volume required.
Renewable, carbon-neutral hydrogen fuel can be produced from everyday food waste through microbial electrolysis. This modular and decentralized system can be configured onsite and scaled up or down depending on the output volume required.

Food waste is converted to hydrogen fuel after being placed in a bioreactor. With a modular system adaptable to demand, each unit is shipping-container-sized, solar-powered, and contains a food liquefier, stacks with tens of thousands of biofilm reactors, and a hydrogen compressor.

In this bioreactor, special electron-producing bacteria grow as a biofilm with hundreds of other microbes that synergistically work to produce electrons from liquified food waste. In the microbial electrolysis cell, hydrogen is generated when these microbes growing on the E anode actively extract the electrons, driving hydrogen production at the cathode. The hydrogen is then compressed at the end as a carbon-neutral fuel and is ready for use or commercialization.

As food waste and other waste disposal are some of the leading sources of methane emissions in the environment, this solution could address the problem while creating renewable hydrogen fuel.

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2 organizations
1 technology domains
4 industries
  • Energy
  • Environment & Resources
  • Food
  • Hospitality & Leisure
8 topics
  • Energy
  • Green Economy
  • Mitigation of Green House Gas Emissions
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Urbanization
  • Waste Management and Circular Economy, Resource Efficiency
  • Agriculture
  • Food and Nutrition Security
4 SDGs
  • 07 Affordable and Clean Energy
  • 09 Industry, innovation and infrastructure
  • 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • 13 Climate Action