Techno-Economic Analysis of Territorial Case Studies for the Integration of Biorefineries and Green Hydrogen

Abstract

To achieve sustainable development, the transition from a fossil-based economy to a circular economy is essential. The use of renewable energy sources to make the overall carbon foot print more favorable is an important pre-requisite. In this context, it is crucial to valorize all renewable resources through an optimized local integration. One opportunity arises through the synergy between bioresources and green hydrogen. Through techno-economic assessments, this work analyzes four local case studies that integrate bio-based processes with green hydrogen produced via electrolysis using renewable energy sources. An analysis of the use of webGIS tools (i.e., Atlas of Biorefineries of IEA Bioenergy) to identify existing biorefineries that require hydrogen in relation to territories with a potential availability of green hydrogen, has never been conducted before. This paper provides an evaluation of the production costs of the target products as a function of the local green hydrogen supply costs. The results revealed that the impact of green hydrogen costs could vary widely, ranging from 1% to 95% of the total production costs, depending on the bio-based target product evaluated. Additionally, hydrogen demand in the target area could require an installed variable renewable energy capacity of 20 MW and 500 MW. On the whole, the local integration of biorefineries and green hydrogen could represent an optimal opportunity to make hydrogenated bio-based products 100% renewable.