(2025) Energy_CO₂-derived syngas production via pyrolysis of bamboo

Kim J.-H.; Kim Y.; Lee D.; Kwon E.E.

(Elsevier Ltd) Energy ISSN: 3605442 Vol.339 Issue. Article No.139161 DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.139161

Meeting the growing demand for biofuels is constrained by the limited availability of biomass, of which only a fraction can be utilized without compromising food security or causing environmental harm. To address this challenge, bamboo, a fast-growing biomass, was employed as the feedstock for pyrolysis to produce gaseous biofuels. To impart a carbon-negative feature, carbon dioxide (CO₂) was introduced as a co-reactant. CO₂ participated in homogeneous reactions (HRs) with bamboo-derived volatiles, redistributing carbon from biocrude to syngas, particularly carbon monoxide (CO). The use of Co- or Ni-based catalysts further enhanced syngas production while simultaneously consuming CO₂ by accelerating these CO₂-driven reactions, with the Ni-based catalyst exhibiting superior performance in CO₂. Syngas yield and CO₂ consumption increased proportionally with CO₂ loading. To improve syngas quality, an integrated thermochemical pathway was proposed, coupling CO₂-mediated catalytic pyrolysis with the water gas shift (WGS) reaction to increase the H₂/CO ratio via conversion of CO to H₂. This approach demonstrated the potential for carbon negativity, with net negative CO₂ emissions achievable. The estimated revenue from H₂ production and the economic benefit of CO₂ mitigation were valued at 141.4 billion USD, representing a 7-fold increase compared with the conventional pyrolysis process. These results highlight CO₂-mediated catalytic pyrolysis of bamboo as a promising strategy for carbon-negative syngas production. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd

Funding text 1: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIT) (No. RS-2023-NR077231).; Funding text 2: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea ( NRF ) grant funded by the Korean Government ( MSIT ) (No. RS-2023-NR077231).