Hydrogen production from low-ash coal gasification: recent advances, challenges, carbon capture and storage technologies

Hydrogen is widely considered a clean energy source essential for accomplishing decarbonization and sustainability goals. For the coal rich countries, gasification using low-ash coal provides a reliable, affordable approach to hydrogen production due to its efficiency and syngas quality, though carbon emissions require appropriate gas purification and mitigation techniques. The utilization of low-ash coal for gasification to generate hydrogen is addressed in this review, accompanied by gasification technology, syngas production, gas cleaning techniques, hydrogen purification, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The review points to the potential advances in steam and oxy-steam gasification, catalytic processes, H2S removal, and better quality of the syngas while comparing coal types, operating conditions, and catalyst efficiency in terms of hydrogen yield and syngas composition. Environmental and economic impacts are also examined. Findings suggest that integrating advanced gasification with efficient purification and CCS can enhance hydrogen production simultaneously, minimizing adverse environmental effects. Key challenges remain in carbon management, process optimization, catalyst durability, and cost competitiveness. Future work should prioritize more efficient catalysts, improved gas separation methods, and large-scale CCS implementation to enable clean hydrogen production from low ash coal.