An eco-technoeconomic analysis of hydrogen production using solid oxide electrolysis cells that accounts for long-term degradation

Abstract

This paper presents an eco-technoeconomic analysis (eTEA) of hydrogen production via solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) aimed at identifying the economically optimal size and operating trajectories for these cells. Notably, degradation effects were accounted by employing a data-driven degradation-based model previously developed by our group for the analysis of SOECs. This model enabled the identification of the optimal trajectories under which SOECs can be economically operated over extended periods of time, with reduced degradation rate. The findings indicated that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) produced by SOECs (ranging from 2.78 to 11.67 $/kg H2) is higher compared to gray hydrogen generated via steam methane reforming (SMR) (varying from 1.03 to 2.16 $ per kg H2), which is currently the dominant commercial process for large-scale hydrogen production. Additionally, SOECs generally had lower life cycle CO2 emissions per kilogram of produced hydrogen (from 1.62 to 3.6 kg CO2 per kg H2) compared to SMR (10.72–15.86 kg CO2 per kg H2). However, SOEC life cycle CO2 emissions are highly dependent on the CO2 emissions produced by its power source, as SOECs powered by high-CO2-emission sources can produce as much as 32.22 kg CO2 per kg H2. Finally, the findings of a sensitivity analysis indicated that the price of electricity has a greater influence on the LCOH than the capital cost.

Mathematical Modeling and Thermal Control of a 1.5 kW Reversible Solid Oxide Stack for 24/7 Hydrogen Plants

“…The objective of this work will be to introduce the degradations in a simple and linear way, considering the long degradation studies found in the literature. For this purpose, the recent degradation works of Naeini et al [30,31] have been taken as reference.…”

Understanding the phase stability of yttria stabilized zirconia electrolyte under solid oxide electrolysis cell operation conditions

“…2,3 Among these methods, solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) in water electrolysis technology operate at relatively high temperatures and have demonstrated potential for more efficient hydrogen production compared to alkaline and polymer electrolysis systems. [4][5][6][7] While numerous studies have reported the high performance of water electrolysis, ensuring the long-term stability of SOECs remains a challenge. 8 Efforts to mitigate degradation are crucial for developing highly efficient water electrolysis systems.…”

Economic impact assessment of Hydrogen generated from Offshore Wind: A case study for Belgium

“…[11] proposed integrated systems for the use of large-scale floating wind farms dedicated to hydrogen generation. [12] developed an eco-technoeconomical analysis approach to evaluate hydrogen generation using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), including their long-term degradation. They showed that LCOH from SOECs are in the range $2.78/kg to $11.67/kg compared to grey hydrogen, where LCOH varies between $1.03/kg and $2.16/kg, and they furthermore concluded that the electricity price was more dominant than the capital costs in these results.…”