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Steam methane reforming (SMR) makes hydrogen by reacting methane with high-temperature steam, then converting carbon monoxide into more hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Biogas can potentially replace some natural gas in an SMR plant, but it is not automatically a drop-in fuel: its composition, contaminants, cleanup and the plant’s design all matter. And a biogenic feedstock does not, by itself, guarantee low lifecycle emissions.
How steam methane reforming produces hydrogen
In the reformer, methane and steam pass over a catalyst at high temperature. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gives a representative range of 700–1,000°C and 3–25 bar for natural-gas reforming. The main reaction is endothermic, so the process needs heat:
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CH₄ + H₂O + heat → CO + 3H₂
This first stage produces hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The gas then enters a water-gas shift step, where carbon monoxide reacts with steam to form carbon dioxide and additional hydrogen:
CO + H₂O → CO₂ + H₂ + a small amount of heat
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Finally, pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) separates hydrogen from carbon dioxide and other impurities. The result is a purified hydrogen stream. DOE describes natural-gas reforming as a mature process and says it accounted for 95% of U.S. hydrogen production on its webpage; that is the page’s statistic, not a current 2026 estimate. DOE: Hydrogen Production—Natural Gas Reforming
Can biogas be used to make hydrogen?
Potentially. Biogas contains methane made from organic material, but its composition varies with the source and processing and differs from pipeline natural gas. The International Energy Agency (IEA) identifies crop residues, manure, biowaste and woody biomass among sustainable biogas and biomethane feedstocks. DOE also lists anaerobic digester gas in its overview of hydrogen production pathways. These references show that bio-derived gas is a recognized potential input category; they do not establish that untreated biogas can be fed directly to any particular reformer.
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The most specific evidence here is a 2023 process-modeling study by Dutta and colleagues, including NREL authors, examining biogenic gases in steam-reforming processes. In the study’s modeled cases, replacing natural gas in the reformer fuel train and then partially replacing it in the feed train appeared feasible. For the CO- and CO₂-rich gas compositions assumed, up to 25 mol% biogenic gas in the feed train could be accommodated through existing design allowances or small modifications while maintaining similar hydrogen output. That is a result for the study’s assumed gases and design conditions—not a universal blend limit, operating recipe or guarantee for existing plants. Dutta et al., 2023 process study (NREL)
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Whether a specific facility can use biogas depends on the actual gas and the plant. Engineers would need to assess composition and contaminants, cleanup needs, the process configuration and catalyst, and operating controls. The available sources do not establish one universal gas-quality specification for SMR plants, so a blend ratio or treatment requirement cannot be prescribed without plant-specific engineering review.
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Why feedstock origin is not the same as emissions intensity
The chemistry can be similar whether methane is fossil or biogenic, but the climate impact depends on more than the methane’s origin. It also depends on methane leakage, process heat, the emissions captured, and the accounting boundary used for the full supply chain.
IEA’s Global Hydrogen Review 2024 estimates that hydrogen production generated 920 Mt CO₂ globally in 2023. It says nearly two-thirds of hydrogen production came from unabated natural gas, with emissions of 10–12 kg CO₂-equivalent per kg H₂. IEA estimates that 75–95% of emissions occur directly at production and can be reduced through carbon capture, while upstream and midstream emissions also require attention. IEA: GHG emissions of hydrogen and its derivatives
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For SMR, the same IEA report estimates abatement costs of USD 60–85 per tonne of CO₂ for capture rates of 55–70%, and USD 85–110 per tonne of CO₂ for capture rates above 90%. These are report estimates under its assumptions, not prices for a particular project. A capture rate is not the same as eliminating all emissions: the result depends on which streams are captured, and upstream and midstream emissions remain part of the picture.
DOE documentation describes a proposed Port Arthur demonstration to capture and sequester CO₂ from SMR process gas at two hydrogen production plants. It illustrates that process-gas capture has been pursued at industrial scale; it does not show that every emissions stream is captured or establish the project’s current operating status. DOE: EA-1846, SMR process-gas capture and sequestration demonstration
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Biogas plants also need methane controls
Biogenic methane can leak before it reaches an SMR plant. IEA’s 2025 Outlook for Biogas and Biomethane estimates methane emissions at 2–5.5% of output from biogas and biomethane plants. It identifies closed digestate storage, combustion of upgrading off-gases, and leak detection and repair as important mitigation practices. The range is an estimate for those plants, not a measured rate for every facility. IEA: Outlook for Biogas and Biomethane, key findings
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare natural-gas and biogas pathways
| Question | What the evidence supports | What still depends on the project |
|---|---|---|
| Gas source | SMR uses methane; biogas is a potential biogenic gas input. | Specific composition, contaminants and cleanup requirements. |
| Plant compatibility | A 2023 model found partial replacement feasible for its assumed compositions and designs, including up to 25 mol% in the feed train in those modeled cases. | Whether an existing reformer can accept a given gas or blend, and what modifications are required. |
| Hydrogen output | The study modeled similar hydrogen output under its specified conditions. | Performance and output at an individual facility. |
| Climate impact | Natural-gas SMR has material production emissions; biogas pathways also need methane-leakage controls. | Lifecycle emissions, including feedstock sourcing, leakage, process heat and capture scope. |
For a climate comparison, keep three questions separate: what gas enters the reformer, what the plant emits directly, and what the full supply chain emits. A renewable feedstock label answers only part of the first question; it does not settle lifecycle emissions.
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