Naresh Peter Basil Rodrigo

Mr. Naresh Peter Basil Rodrigo


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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23 January 2025 in Fuels
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
GTGonçalo A. O. Tiago
Gonçalo A. O. Tiago
NRNaresh Peter Basil Rodrigo
Naresh Peter Basil Rodrigo
GLGonçalo Lourinho
Gonçalo Lourinho
Tiago F. LopesTiago F. Lopes
Tiago F. Lopes
FGFrancisco Gírio
Francisco Gírio
Fossil fuels drive global warming, necessitating renewable alternatives such as biomethane (or renewable natural gas). Biomethane, primarily produced through anaerobic digestion (AD), offers a cleaner energy solution but is limited by the slow AD process. Biomass gasification followed by syngas methanation has emerged as a faster alternative. This review examines advancements in these processes over the last decade (2015–2024), focusing on techno-economic and life cycle assessment (LCA) studies. Techno-economic analyses reveal that biomethane production costs are influenced by several factors, including process complexity, feedstock type and the scale of production. Smaller gasification units tend to exhibit higher capital costs (CAPEX) per MW capacity, while feedstock choice and process efficiency play significant roles in determining overall production costs. LCA studies highlight higher impacts for gasification and methanation due to energy demands and associated emissions. However, integrating renewable hydrogen production through electrolysis, along with innovations such as sorption-enhanced gasification (SEG), can enhance overall system efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. This review critically evaluates the technical and economic challenges, along with the opportunities for optimizing biomethane production, and discusses the potential for these technologies to contribute to sustainable bioenergy solutions in the transition to a low-carbon economy.