Hydrogen Production from Winery Wastewater Through a Dual-Chamber Microbial Electrolysis Cell

Ana Baía, Alonso I. Arroyo-Escoto, Nuno Ramos, Bilel Abdelkarim, Marta Pereira, Maria C. Fernandes, Yifeng Zhang and Annabel Fernandes ()
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Ana Baía: Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Alonso I. Arroyo-Escoto: Alentejo Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and Agro-Food (CEBAL), Polytechnic Institute of Beja (IPBeja), Apartado 6158, 7801-908 Beja, Portugal
Nuno Ramos: Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Bilel Abdelkarim: Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Marta Pereira: Department of Chemistry, Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Maria C. Fernandes: Alentejo Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and Agro-Food (CEBAL), Polytechnic Institute of Beja (IPBeja), Apartado 6158, 7801-908 Beja, Portugal
Yifeng Zhang: Department of Environmental and Resources Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Bygningstorvet, Building 115, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Annabel Fernandes: Fiber Materials and Environmental Technologies (FibEnTech-UBI), Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês de D’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: This study explores the feasibility of producing biohydrogen from winery wastewater using a dual-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). A mixed microbial consortium pre-adapted to heavy-metal environments and enriched with Geobacter sulfurreducens was anaerobically cultivated from diverse waste streams. Over 5000 h of development, the MEC system was progressively adapted to winery wastewater, enabling long-term electrochemical stability and high organic matter degradation. Upon winery wastewater addition (5% v / v ), the system achieved a sustained hydrogen production rate of (0.7 ± 0.3) L H 2 L −1 d −1 , with an average current density of (60 ± 4) A m −3 , and COD removal efficiency exceeding 55%, highlighting the system’s resilience despite the presence of inhibitory compounds. Coulombic efficiency and cathodic hydrogen recovery reached (75 ± 4)% and (87 ± 5)%, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy provided mechanistic insight into charge transfer and biofilm development, correlating resistive parameters with biological adaptation. These findings demonstrate the potential of MECs to simultaneously treat agro-industrial wastewaters and recover energy in the form of hydrogen, supporting circular resource management strategies.

Keywords: bioelectrochemical systems; cathodic hydrogen recovery; agro-industrial effluents; electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; electroactive biofilm; mixed microbial consortium; hydrogen production rate; Geobacter sulfurreducens; long-term operation; anaerobic digestion enhancement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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