Hydrogen Production by Steam Reforming of Biogas to Mitigate Gaseous Emissions: Review

Hydrogen production via the steam reforming of biogas has been widely studied as a low-carbon alternative to conventional fossil-based hydrogen pathways. However, existing literature largely addresses individual process components in isolation, providing limited insight into the combined effects of catalyst stability, process efficiency, environmental performance, and regional feasibility. This review presents an integrated assessment of biogas steam reforming systems, focusing on catalyst degradation mechanisms under realistic biogas compositions, process intensification and energy integration strategies, and the techno-economic implications of carbon capture integration. Environmental performance is examined through a life-cycle perspective, synthesizing reported greenhouse gas mitigation potentials and key emission drivers across the biogas-to-hydrogen value chain. In addition, a regionspecific feasibility analysis is conducted using Angola as a representative case, incorporating biomass availability, waste streams, and energy infrastructure constraints. The results highlight how regional resource characteristics and lifecycle considerations influence system efficiency, costs, and emissions performance. Overall, the review provides a structured framework for evaluating biogas-based hydrogen production in biomass-rich developing economies and identifies the technical and environmental conditions required for its effective deployment.