Comparative assessment of the scientific structure of biomass-based bioenergy research

Comparative assessment of the scientific structure of biomass-based bioenergy research

Biomass-based hydrogen production is an innovative approach for realizing carbon-neutral energy solutions. Despite their promise, both the biomass energy domain and the hydrogen energy domain differ in their research focus and perspectives on this technology. In this study, we conducted a cross-domain bibliometric analysis to clarify these differences and suggest ways to strengthen collaboration.

Our analysis revealed that the hydrogen energy domain has a balanced focus on realizing a hydrogen society using biomass-based hydrogen production, while the biomass energy domain has a strong interest in the biomass processing technologies themselves. This divergence in research objectives may hinder innovation.

For example, in the hydrogen energy domain, central discussions revolved around catalysts for reforming biomass-derived feedstocks and improving the efficiency of thermochemical conversion and microbial decomposition processes. In contrast, the biomass energy domain centered its discussions on optimizing pretreatment, fermentation, and gasification technologies for biomass utilization.

This comparative assessment highlights the importance of synergistic progress through interdisciplinary efforts to integrate knowledge across the biomass and hydrogen research communities. By filling these gaps, our findings can lead to the development of a roadmap for future research and policy in renewable energy, emphasizing the need for a unified approach to sustainable hydrogen production.

Biomass-Based Hydrogen: Bridging Two Energy Domains

Biomass is an attractive feedstock for hydrogen production as it is renewable, storable, and can react at room temperature and pressure – a significant advantage over other green hydrogen sources like solar and wind, which have large output fluctuations. The U.S. Department of Energy has provided $34 million to advance clean hydrogen technologies, including biomass-based hydrogen production.

The EU is also supporting several biomass-based hydrogen initiatives under the Horizon2020 program, such as the BIG-H2 project focused on improving efficiency and purity. Colombia also sees biomass playing a key role in meeting its projected hydrogen demand by 2050.

Biomass can be converted to various bioenergy products beyond just hydrogen, such as FT synthetic oil and biodiesel. Similarly, there are multiple pathways for hydrogen production, not limited to biomass. This means that “biomass-based hydrogen” can be viewed as one utilization of biomass from the biomass energy perspective, and one production method from the hydrogen energy viewpoint.

Integrating Knowledge Across Domains

To drive innovation, it is effective to leverage knowledge outside one’s own research community. Open innovation through collaboration between the biomass energy and hydrogen energy fields can bring benefits like avoiding duplicated research, early issue identification, and innovative idea creation.

Bibliometric analysis is a powerful tool for quantitatively evaluating unstructured data like academic papers and patents. By applying this approach across the biomass and hydrogen domains, we can uncover the differences in how each community perceives and evaluates “biomass-based hydrogen” technology.

Contrasting Perspectives Across Domains

Our cross-domain bibliometric analysis revealed distinct focuses and trends between the biomass energy domain and the hydrogen energy domain on biomass-based hydrogen technology.

In the hydrogen energy domain, clusters related to thermochemical conversion, reforming, and microbial decomposition of biomass were relatively mature compared to the overall domain. This suggests a balanced interest in utilizing biomass to realize a hydrogen society.

Conversely, in the biomass energy domain, clusters focused on the biomass processing technologies of fermentation, pretreatment, and thermochemical conversion were most prominent and have maintained their presence in recent years. This indicates a strong focus on optimizing the biomass utilization process itself.

By examining the central papers in the citation networks of these clusters, we can further understand the research priorities in each domain. The hydrogen energy domain discussed topics like catalyst development, process efficiency, and hydrogen yield – all with a focus on the end-product. The biomass energy domain, however, centered its discussions on the biomass processing technologies and their optimization.

This divergence in research objectives may create a knowledge gap that hinders synergistic progress between the two communities. Integrating their respective expertise could lead to more comprehensive solutions for sustainable hydrogen production from biomass.

Emerging Trends and Future Outlook

To predict future research directions, we employed machine learning to identify “emerging papers” – those likely to receive a high number of citations in the coming years. The results further highlighted the differences between the two domains.

In the hydrogen energy domain, the emerging papers focused on methodologies and efficiency improvements for steam reforming, thermochemical conversion, and microbial hydrogen production. However, the overall attention given to biomass-based hydrogen technology was lower compared to other hydrogen production approaches.

Conversely, the biomass energy domain saw a greater number of emerging papers related to biomass processing technologies like fermentation, pretreatment, and gasification optimization – indicating stronger future research interest in this area.

These findings suggest that the biomass energy domain has maintained a more sustained focus on developing biomass utilization technologies, while the hydrogen energy domain may have overlooked some of the advancements in this area.

Conclusion: Toward Synergistic Advancement

This cross-domain bibliometric analysis reveals the need for strengthened collaboration between the biomass energy and hydrogen energy research communities to foster innovation in sustainable hydrogen production.

By integrating their respective knowledge and expertise, these communities can develop a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in biomass-based hydrogen technology. This could involve joint research projects, interdisciplinary conferences, and government-led initiatives that bring together experts from both domains.

Ultimately, such collaborative efforts will be crucial in realizing a renewable energy future and meeting global decarbonization goals. The European Future Energy Forum provides an ideal platform for stakeholders to exchange insights and coordinate strategies toward this shared vision.

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