Environmental Performance of the Sewage Sludge Gasification Process Considering the Recovered CO 2

Daichi Terasawa (), Mayu Hamazaki, Kanato Kumagai and Kiyoshi Dowaki ()
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Daichi Terasawa: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
Mayu Hamazaki: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
Kanato Kumagai: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
Kiyoshi Dowaki: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-23

Abstract: An advanced gasification module (AGM) for green hydrogen production involves a small-scale biomass gasification process owing to the low energy density of biomass. Therefore, significant heat loss and the endothermic nature of gasification system require additional fossil fuel heat, increasing CO 2 emissions. This study focuses on bioenergy conversion with carbon capture and utilization (BECCU), where carbon-neutral CO 2 from biomass gasification is captured and reused as a gasifying agent to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of green hydrogen. BECCU is expected to achieve negative emissions and enhance gasification efficiency by promoting conversion of char and tar through CO 2 gasification. To evaluate the effectiveness of BECCU in the AGM, we conducted a sensitivity analysis of the reformer temperature and S/C ratio using process simulation combined with life cycle assessment. In both sensitivity analyses, the GWP for CO 2 capture was lower compared with conventional conditions, considering recovered CO 2 from purification and the additional steam generated through heat recovery. This suggests improved hydrogen yields from enhanced char and tar conversion. Consequently, the GWP was reduced by more than 50%, demonstrating BECCU’s effectiveness in the AGM. This represents a step toward operating biomass gasification systems with lower environmental impact and contributing to sustainable energy production.

Keywords: BECCU; gasification; hydrogen production; process simulation; LCA (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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