Waste-to-Hydrogen Energy in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Perspectives

Hydrogen (H2) has emerged as a promising alternative fuel that can be produced from renewable resources including organic waste through biological processes. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the annual generation rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) is around 15 million tons that average around 1.4 kg per capita per day. Similalry, a significant amount of industrial and agricultural waste is generated every year in KSA. Most of these wastes are disposed in landfills or dumpsites after partial segregation and recycling and without material or energy recovery. This causes environmental pollution and release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions along with public health problems. Therefore, the scope of producing renewable H2 energy from domestic and industrial waste sources is promising in KSA, as no waste-to-energy (WTE) facility exists. This chapter reviews the biological and chemical ways of H2 production from waste sources and availability of waste resources in KSA.

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