Proceedings of MATSUS23 & Sustainable Technology Forum València (STECH23) (MATSUS23)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.matsus.2023.291
Publication date: 22nd December 2022
Abstract
One of the challenges faced by photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting technology is the relatively high levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) compared with other hydrogen generation methods. A potential strategy to increase its competitiveness is to couple PEC water splitting with hydrogenation reactions that produce valorized chemicals[1][2]. In this study, we evaluate the economic potential of co-producing hydrogen and methylsuccinic acid (MSA) by coupling the hydrogenation of itaconic acid (IA) inside a PEC water splitting device based on BiVO4 and silicon heterojunction (SHJ) absorbers[3][4].
This study examines the economics of a 1000 kg H2/day rated capacity PEC plant with the coupled co-production feature by conducting a techno-economic assessment (TEA) under a base case scenario where PEC devices with solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of 10% and longevity of 20 years are considered. When H2 is the only product, the obtained cradle-to-gate LCOH is 22.3 €/kg. However, with the coupled hydrogenation reaction, the LCOH can be reduced to 2.8 €/kg when only 3.9% of the generated H2 molecules are converted to MSA. This LCOH value is already competitive with the benchmark H2 derived from steam methane reforming (SMR)[5]. This means that the technical advancements based on currently demonstrated coupled catalyst PEC technology can provide sufficient cost reductions to allow solar hydrogen to directly compete on a levelized cost basis with hydrogen produced from fossil energy.
Our sensitivity analysis further indicates that the H2-to-MSA conversion efficiency and MSA sales price have the greatest impact on the reduction of LCOH. Therefore, the system can take advantage of its flexibility to maximize benefits by adjusting the conversion rates accordingly to market conditions. Further optimization is suggested regarding the substitution of expensive system components, i.e., PV absorber and membrane, with envisioned cheaper alternatives, which might substantially lower the overall system cost.
Key words: water splitting, (photo)electrochemistry, technoeconomic analysis, coupled catalysis, hydrogenation
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