Optimization-Based Technoeconomic Analysis Of Molten-Media Methane Pyrolysis For Reducing Industrial Sector Co(2)Emissions

The industrial sector accounts for nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve climate change mitigation targets, reductions in energy-related and process emissions from industry are crucial. Methane pyrolysis could be used to produce low-carbon hydrogen (H-2) for distributed energy end-uses and for industrial processes while generating a solid carbon product that can be permanently sequestered or sold as a manufacturing feedstock. This work analyzes methane pyrolysisviaa molten media that continuously catalyzes the reaction and separates the produced carbon. We perform design optimization to evaluate the technoeconomics of this technology. We model a template small-scale 50 MW boiler (10.4 ktonne per year H-2) as a base case for combustion applications, because such boilers are particularly challenging to decarbonize (are expensive to electrify and too small-scale for post-combustion CO(2)capture and sequestration (CCS)). We find that the levelized cost of low-carbon energy is $11.09 per MMBTU, equivalent to an abatement cost of $115 per tonne CO(2)avoided. In addition, we examine a policy-informed case study of H(2)production at refineries subject to the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). In the absence of CO(2)credits, the levelized cost of hydrogen is $1.75 per kg H-2, but when LCFS credits are included at recent prices of $190 per tonne CO(2)eq., we find a levelized cost of hydrogen as low as $0.39 per kg H-2. Optimization was conducted under a range of economic sensitivities, finding that, as long as catalyst losses can be minimized, costs could be competitive with decarbonization methods such as CCS or other low-carbon H(2)production pathways.