Implementable wastewater-to-hydrogen production pathway towards circular hydrogen economy (IF=10.1, JCR 3.2%)

Prof. SungKu Heo published a research article in Energy on a sustainable pathway toward a circular hydrogen economy using wastewater treatment plants. The study proposes an implementable wastewater-to-hydrogen framework that integrates anaerobic digestion, biogas upgrading, tri-reforming with renewable energy, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) to produce low-carbon hydrogen while maximizing resource recovery from wastewater. Through nationwide scenario analysis and techno-economic-environmental assessment, the research demonstrates that wastewater treatment plants can serve as decentralized hydrogen production hubs, contributing to both carbon neutrality and the transition toward a circular hydrogen economy. The paper is accessible via the following DOI link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2026.141780.