Evaluating the Potential of Hydrogen Production from Agricultural Waste in Indonesia: A Comparative Techno-economic Analysis

Abstract

Hydrogen production from agricultural waste is a potentially established industry in Indonesia, and the government aims to introduce innovative technologies to produce hydrogen. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of hydrogen production from agricultural waste using three different methods: SCWG, fermentation, and gasification. The analysis focuses on comparing the price of hydrogen as a product by setting the same value of the IRR at 30%. The simulation was conducted by analyzing the capacity of hydrogen production at 3650 tons/year. The results of this study demonstrate that fermentation is the most feasible technology for producing hydrogen from agricultural wastes in Indonesia. In this technology, the price of hydrogen obtained was $5.65/kg, with a total capital investment (TCI) and production cost (TPC) of $10,756,132.97 and $13,977,351.97, respectively. Based on this simulation, the other parameter values, including NPV, ROI, and PoT, were $15,387,688.72, 68%, and 2.27 years, respectively. These results indicate that the establishment of hydrogen production in Indonesia using fermentation technology and agricultural waste is economically viable.