(84as) Application of a Developed Techno-Economic Analysis Framework to CO2 Electrochemical Reduction Processes

The climate crisis has demanded many efforts to develop new technologies to reduce emissions and remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction (eCO₂RR) processes to produce value-added chemicals provide a potential alternative for utilizing captured CO₂. These processes have been the focus of recent studies in the literature [1][2][3]. In particular, most of the current modeling and systems studies involving these processes do not consider process integration and up and downstream processing, which may lead to their incomplete techno-economic assessment. Such assessment is crucial to show the competitiveness of emerging eCO₂RR technologies when compared to conventional processes. This study aims to perform a comprehensive Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) of an integrated CO₂ electrochemical conversion process to Ethylene and Ethanol production modeled using Aspen Plus^®.

The integrated process considered in this work consists of two main parts based on literature [1]: reaction using an electrolyzer and separation of the products and CO₂. The modeled electrolyzer consists of a polymer-based electrolyte membrane configuration that operates at room temperature [3]. Also, the gas-phase products and recycled CO₂ are separated using Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) units [4], while the liquid products are separated using a distillation column [3]. To perform the TEA, a framework is developed in Python based on the systematic approach previously proposed by our research group [5]. The developed framework in Python standardizes TEA studies for Electrochemical CO₂ reduction processes and can be applied to assess other chemical processes as well. This framework includes standard economic analysis considering capital costs, operating costs, and depreciation, and evaluates profitability aspects such as net present value (NPV), payback time (PBT), and return on investment (ROI). Moreover, the framework contains other features such as sensitivity analysis, assessment of break-even prices, and new economy of learning concepts [5].

The techno-economic analysis results for the integrated CO₂ electrochemical reduction process will be discussed. Specifically, the evaluation of the process feasibility and trade-offs of using this process in terms of potential improvements in cell performance, stability, and electricity price will be addressed.

References

[1] Singh, S., Stechel, E.B., Buttry, D.A., 2017. Transient modeling of electrochemically assisted CO2 capture and release. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 799, 156–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelechem.2017.05.045

[2] Orella, M.J., Brown, S.M., Leonard, M.E., Román-Leshkov, Y., Brushett, F.R., 2020. A General Technoeconomic Model for Evaluating Emerging Electrolytic Processes. Energy Technol. 8, 1900994. https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.201900994

[3] Ramdin, M., De Mot, B., Morrison, A.R.T., Breugelmans, T., van den Broeke, L.J.P., Trusler, J.P.M., Kortlever, R., de Jong, W., Moultos, O.A., Xiao, P., Webley, P.A., Vlugt, T.J.H., 2021. Electroreduction of CO2 /CO to C2 Products: Process Modeling, Downstream Separation, System Integration, and Economic Analysis. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 60, 17862–17880. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.1c03592

[4] Wiheeb, A.D., Helwani, Z., Kim, J., Othman, M.R., 2016. Pressure Swing Adsorption Technologies for Carbon Dioxide Capture. Separation & Purification Reviews 45, 108–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/15422119.2015.1047958

[5] Gazzaneo, V., Watson, M., Ramsayer, C.B., Kilwein, Z.A., Alves, V., Lima, F.V., 2022. A techno‐economic analysis framework for intensified modular systems. J. Adv. Manuf. & Process 4. https://doi.org/10.1002/amp2.10115