Comparative analysis of hydrogen production pathways for emethanol synthesis to decarbonise industry
Bhrat Bobby Daswani A * and Andrew P. Campbell
B *
A
B
Bobby Daswani is a chartered process engineer, CEng (MIChemE) with 17 years of experience in the Oil and Gas/Energy industry. Bobby works for Worley on supply chain and sustainability projects, energy optimisation and power to x modelling development. |
Andrew Campbell is a process engineer with a PhD and 28 years of industry and Worley experience in various consulting and engineering analysis roles. Andrew has developed technoeconomic models for different hydrogen applications and helped clients assess concepts and decarbonisation programs, especially with digital aspects. |
Abstract
Methane pyrolysis and water electrolysis offer alternative hydrogen pathways to methane reforming that utilise renewable power and avoid generating carbon dioxide (CO2). On a scope 1 and 2 basis, both technologies have the potential to generate carbon neutral emethanol fuel when combined with biogenic CO2. However, pyrolysis requires significantly less energy and has a lower capital expenditure (CAPEX). Being a more nascent technology, it also has upside potential for cost reductions and valorisation of the solid carbon by-product can yield lower hydrogen costs than the incumbent technology, however, limited demand from existing markets is a potential constraint. Industry decarbonisation is constrained due to a lack of available renewables and hydrogen infrastructure. Pyrolysis offers a potential cost-effective use of the available renewable assets in the early stages while the carbon by-product is not a constraint and until sufficient renewable infrastructure is in place to support water electrolysis at a cost-effective scale.
Keywords: biogenic CO2, decarbonisation, eFuels, emethanol, ethanol, green hydrogen, methane pyrolysis, methane reforming, renewable power, turquoise hydrogen, water electrolysis.
Bobby Daswani is a chartered process engineer, CEng (MIChemE) with 17 years of experience in the Oil and Gas/Energy industry. Bobby works for Worley on supply chain and sustainability projects, energy optimisation and power to x modelling development. |
Andrew Campbell is a process engineer with a PhD and 28 years of industry and Worley experience in various consulting and engineering analysis roles. Andrew has developed technoeconomic models for different hydrogen applications and helped clients assess concepts and decarbonisation programs, especially with digital aspects. |
References
EIA (2023a) Ethanol plants, January 2023. Available at https://atlas.eia.gov/search?collection=Dataset&q=ethanol
EIA (2023b) Energy-Related CO2 Emission Data Tables, Table 6 Carbon intensity of the energy supply by state. Available at https://www.eia.gov/environment/emissions/state/
Hydrogeninsight (2023) Additional revenue stream | By-product oxygen from 300MW green hydrogen project sold in long-term deal. Press release, 3 January. Available at https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/industrial/additional-revenue-stream-by-product-oxygen-from-300mw-green-hydrogen-project-sold-in-long-term-deal/2-1-1382545
IEA (2023) G7 2023 HIROSHIMA Summit, Towards hydrogen definitions based on their emissions intensity. Available at https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/acc7a642-e42b-4972-8893-2f03bf0bfa03/Towardshydrogendefinitionsbasedontheiremissionsintensity.pdf
Methanol Institute (2023) Marine Methanol: Future-Proof Shipping Fuel. Available at https://www.methanol.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Marine_Methanol_Report_Methanol_Institute_May_2023.pdf
MMSA (2023) Methanol Prices – republished by Methanol Institute (May 2023). Available at https://www.methanol.org/methanol-price-supply-demand/
NETL (2019) Quality Guidelines for Energy System Studies: Fuel Prices for Selected Feedstocks in NETL Studies. Available at https://www.netl.doe.gov/projects/files/QGESS%20Fuel%20Pricing%20-%20Final.pdf
NETL (2023) Updated Performance and Cost Estimates for Power generation facilities Equipped with CC. Available at https://usea.org/sites/default/files/event-/USEA%20Webinar_FEB_Rev0_20230201.pdf
Olah GA (2005) Beyond Oil and Gas: The Methanol Economy. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 44, 2636-2639.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |
Prabhu A, Mallya H, Elango S (2023) NG Pyrolysis A Bridge to a Green Hydrogen Economy. CEEW The Council Journal, Issue Brief, January 2023. Available at https://www.ceew.in/sites/default/files/ceew-research-on-natural-gas-pyrolysis-for-low-carbon-and-clean-green-hydrogen-production-india.pdf
Ribeiro AM, Santos JC, Rodrigues AE, et al. (2012) Syngas Stoichiometric Adjustment for Methanol Production and Co-Capture of Carbon Dioxide by Pressure Swing Adsorption. Separation Science and Technology 47, 850-866.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Topsoe (2023) Start Your Power-To-X Journey With ModuLite™ eMeOH A/S, CVR 41853816 | 0370.2023/Rev.0. Available at https://www.topsoe.com/hubfs/DOWNLOADS/DOWNLOADS%20-%20Brochures/eMeOH%20brochure%208p%20web.pdf
