Hydrogen—as a promising alternative energy carrier (“clean fuel”)—can be produced in several ways, including environment-friendly methods such as biological systems. The commercially usable hydrogen currently being produced is extracted mainly from natural gas or burning of fossil fuels, which have limited reserves. The crisis demanded the need to produce hydrogen from alternative sources so that it can be used as fuel economically. Biohydrogen production therefore is projected to play an important role in building a hydrogen based economy.

Global interest in biohydrogen has taken long stride with remarkable contributions to the science. In India only a few research and development organizations are focusing on biohydrogen production. There is an immediate need for impetus and conglomeration of these workgroups to build a network focusing on biohydrogen research. The International Workshop on Biohydrogen Production Technology 2008 will not only bring together the various workgroups within India but also give them an opportunity to interact with international scientific community. It will also abet in conceiving a necessary interdisciplinary research.A panel discussion to understand the present state of the different biohydrogen production processes would be organised.