How does techno-economic analysis and lifecycle assessment help in commercializing the biohydrogen supply chain?. (1st June 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ganeshan, Prabakaran; Vigneswaran, V.S.; Gowd, Sarath C.; Kondusamy, Dhamodharan; Sanjay kumar, C.; Krishnamoorthy, Nageshwari; Kumar, Deepak; Juneja, Ankita; Paramasivan, Balasubramanian; Raju, Nithin N; Rajendran, Karthik; Pugazhendhi, Arivalagan
• Is Part Of: Fuel. Volume 341(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-06-01
• Subjects: Biohydrogen -- Techno-economic analysis -- Life cycle analysis -- Carbon capture and storage -- Negative emission technology; Fuel -- Periodicals; Coal -- Periodicals; Coal; Fuel; Periodicals; 662.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.127601
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-2361

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Bio-hydrogen can be generated at a minimum cost of $1.2/kg by gasifying biomass. Centralized bio-H2 generation is preferred when production quantity is large. Bio-H2 generation by gasifying eucalyptus wood produced least carbon foot of −1.6 kg CO2 eq/kg H2 . Bio-H2 produced by an electrolyser is feasible only when the cost of electricity is < €60/MWh. Abstract: Hydrogen is considered as the fuel of the future not only because of its high energy density but also due to its zero-carbon emission potential during combustion. However, to achieve sustainable growth, the hydrogen generation process must be techno-economically feasible and have minimum carbon footprint. The techno-economic analysis (TEA) of various hydrogen generation process aids in identifying the effective bio-hydrogen generation process at minimal cost thereby aiding in faster dissemination of the system by attracting investors. Among the various techniques available for bio-hydrogen production, gasification was found to be most economical ($1.2/kg H2 ) followed by anaerobic digestion process ($1.25/kg H2 ). Meanwhile, after carrying out the life cycle analysis (LCA) of the different bio-hydrogen generation process, it was found that generation of bio-hydrogen by gasification of eucalyptus wood produced least carbon foot of −1.6 kg CO2eq. /kg H2 . Thus, the TEA and LCA of different biohydrogen production process also helps to identify the bottlenecks haunting the penetration of hydrogen in energy market which can be overcome by framing effective policies by the governing agencies.