Volume 51

Techno-Economic Assessment of the impact of CO2 Emissions Constraints on the Design of Hydrogen Production Systems Juan C. González Palencia, Aya Ichikawa, Yuto Ogura, Kazuki Yanaoka, Mikiya Araki

Abstract

The impact of CO2 emissions constraints on the optimum configuration of a hydrogen production system and the associated energy flows, material flows and cost was assessed; focusing on Japan as case of study. Two scenarios were considered: Base scenario, focusing on optimizing cost; and WEC+C scenario, focusing on optimizing simultaneously energy use, water use, CO2 emissions and cost. Results show that all natural gas available is used to produce hydrogen using SMR for CO2 intensities higher than 11 kg-CO2/kg-H2 in both scenarios. As CO2 intensity decreases, SMR is replaced with electrolysis using hydroelectricity. Levelized cost of hydrogen tends to increase as CO2 intensity decreases, reaching 9.51 USD/kg-H2 for a CO2 intensity of 0 kg-CO2/kg-H2 in both scenarios. CO2 intensity affects energy and material flows. Reducing CO2 intensity increases water use in the WEC+C scenario as SMR is replaced with electrolysis using hydroelectricity.

Keywords Hydrogen, Hydrogen Production, Water-Energy-Carbon (WEC) Nexus, Levelized Cost of Hydrogen