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Rethinking Green Hydrogen: Why Biomass-Based Molecules Deserve a Bigger Role

As countries accelerate efforts to build green hydrogen economies to meet net-zero commitments, a new book by energy researcher Dr. Sandip P. Dhurat highlights a critical gap in the prevailing discourse. His work, From Biomass to Molecules: Missing Chapter in Green Hydrogen, challenges the dominant perception that green hydrogen is synonymous only with renewable electricity and electrolysis.

Globally, green hydrogen has emerged as a cornerstone of climate strategies, shaping national policies, investment flows, and industrial decarbonisation plans. However, Dr. Dhurat argues that this largely electron-centric approach overlooks a vital molecular pathway—the direct conversion of biomass into hydrogen and other high-value molecules.

“Electrolysis is an important tool, but it cannot be viewed as the sole pathway,” the book notes. “An exclusive focus on electrons risks sidelining molecules, where chemistry, carbon management, and circularity converge.”

Biomass as a Strategic Molecular Pathway

In From Biomass to Molecules, Dr. Dhurat examines why biomass-based hydrogen and bio-molecule production routes receive limited attention in mainstream green hydrogen narratives. Drawing from energy systems analysis, process engineering, materials science, and policy frameworks, the book reframes biomass as a long-term molecular resource, not merely a transitional fuel.

According to the author, biomass conversion pathways can simultaneously produce green hydrogen, bio-based chemicals, and climate-positive intermediates, while enabling circular carbon utilisation. These approaches, he suggests, are particularly relevant for decentralised and rural regions, where large-scale renewable power infrastructure may face economic or logistical constraints.

Moving Beyond Incremental Solutions

Rather than proposing marginal improvements, the book positions biomass-to-molecule conversion as a missing structural pillar in the evolving green hydrogen ecosystem. It highlights that many biomass technologies already operate at mid-level Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 5–6), allowing for faster deployment compared with capital-intensive, grid-dependent electrolysis systems.

Dr. Dhurat also questions current national hydrogen strategies, pointing out that biomass pathways are often sidelined or treated as short-term solutions. In contrast, the book presents biomass as a long-term complement to electrolysis—one capable of enhancing energy security, strengthening rural economies, and accelerating climate mitigation.

A Push for Systems-Level Thinking

Targeted at policymakers, researchers, innovators, and sustainability-driven institutions, From Biomass to Molecules adopts a systems-thinking approach. It urges stakeholders to look beyond electrons and reconsider how molecules flow through future energy systems.

“This book is not a manual,” Dr. Dhurat explains. “It is an attempt to realign the conversation.”

As global hydrogen investments gather momentum, the choices made today are likely to shape energy pathways for decades. By reintroducing biomass and molecular conversion into the discussion, the book offers a timely and thought-provoking perspective on the future of green hydrogen.

The book is available online at: https://amzn.in/d/350lnzN