Integration of biorefineries and green hydrogen – Techno-economic feasibility and case studies

Various opportunities can be unlocked when connecting decentralised produced green hydrogen and regionally available bio-resources, several local case studies show.

An interesting characteristic of green hydrogen is the possibility to have decentralised and locally distributed production and availability, which becomes even more interesting given the opportunity to link it to the regional avalibility of bio-based resources. Several, so-called, ‘new hydrogen valleys’ are emerging in the world, producing green hydrogen from local/regional variable renewable energy sources by electrolysis. Combining the resulting green hydrogen with locally available bio-resources at a regional scale and finding the corresponding ‘tailor-made’ optimised biorefinery size to match the producibility of both raw materials is the main challenge for biorefining in the next years.

A new report by Task 42 (Biorefining in a Circular Economy) presents some guidelines to navigate the establishment of new biorefineries into the next energy transition towed by variable renewable energy sources and green hydrogen.

Download the full report: “Integration of biorefineries and green hydrogen – Techno-economic feasibility and case studies”

By providing details on four different case studies – Italy, USA, Brazil and Australia – the report highlights the potential of combining biomass-based processes with locally sourced green hydrogen derived from surplus renewable energy. This integration opens avenues for companies to enhance the production of biofuels, chemicals, and sustainable aviation fuels, offering them competitive advantages by aligning with circular economy principles.

Strategic decisions on infrastructure development—such as facilitating the deployment of variable renewable energy farms and optimizing green hydrogen production hubs—are key to enabling cost-effective and scalable solutions. By promoting biorefinery models tailored to regional biomass and energy resources, policymakers can stimulate economic growth, reduce carbon emissions, and drive innovation in sustainable energy technologies.