Aim of the project was to enable an energetic and technical comparison between the main thermochemical process schemes proposed for producing pure hydrogen from biomass with each other and with the thermochemical reforming of natural gas or fermentation biogas. According to the gas production process different gas purification processes and catalytic stages are necessary. These were analysed in detail. Special attention was turned to the different possibilities for hydrocarbon-reforming. In line with the overall process simulation different possibilities for process integration and optimisation were investigated.

Main criterion for the comparison was the energetic efficiency of the overall processes for production of hydrogen. In addition the CO₂ emissions and the cold gas efficiencies were ascertained. Besides of the key data the weak spots of the different processes were analysed and possibilities for improvement were worked out. Beyond that first tendencies for reasonable design sizes and investment costs of the different processes were stated.

As part of the project the following process schemes were investigated in detail:  

• the 2-stage Carbo-V-Gasifier of CHOREN Company,

• the 2- stage gasification process of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT),

• the fluidised bed gasifier of CUTEC,

• the pressurised fluidised bed gasifier at Värnamo (Chrisgas Project),

• the Heatpipe-Reformer (BioHPR) of the TU-München,

• the VERENA process for hydrothermal gasification of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT),

• the FICFB steam fluidised bed gasifier of Güssing,

• the AER-gasification in a dual circulating fluidized bed.

Comparisons with the hydrogen production from the thermochemical reforming of natural gas and of biogas from fermentation of manure or manure-maize mixtures were also performed, to serve as reference.