Techno-economic assessment and ANN-based optimization of biomass-derived hydrogen production in the Euro-Mediterranean region

Green hydrogen from bio-waste gasification is a viable pathway, but process optimization is key to cost-effective deployment on a large scale. In this study, the gasification of olive pomace (OP) and grape marc (GM) in a fluidized bed was simulated using Aspen Plus to investigate hydrogen production. The process was optimized with respect to hydrogen yield, energy and exergy efficiencies, tar generation, and CO 2 equivalent emissions across a range of operating conditions. An optimization framework integrating an artificial neural network (ANN) with a genetic algorithm (GA) was developed, where the ANN was used to model the simulation outputs and the GA was applied to determine optimal operating conditions. Hydrodynamic similarity was assessed through dimensionless analysis of key fluidization parameters, supporting consistent gas-solid behavior and providing a basis for scale-up assessment. Finally, the techno-economic feasibility of large-scale hydrogen production from a gasification unit in the Mediterranean region was assessed. The assessment revealed that Spain, the leading olive producer, could generate over 43 t h −1 of hydrogen from olive pomace (OP), while Italy could produce more than 26 t h −1 from grape marc (GM). Under favorable conditions of low water and electricity costs, Morocco and Portugal achieve the most competitive production, reaching the $3 kg −1 H 2 target from OP bio-waste. For GM, the LCOH 2 remains slightly above this threshold, though modest cost reductions in Portugal, Morocco, and Turkey could achieve parity. Overall, the regional hydrogen potentials from OP and GM are estimated at 0.837 Mt yr −1 and 0.745 Mt yr −1 , respectively, highlighting promising pathways for scaling sustainable hydrogen production from agro-industrial residues.