Techno-economic analysis of a fuel-cell driven integrated energy hub for decarbonising transportation

Abstract

In this study an advanced integrated multigeneration energy hub is conceptualized combining solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser and methanol production unit. Using natural gas as a primary fuel input along with the renewable green excess electricity the proposed energy hub has a potential of generating electrical power, heat for district heat network, methanol for transportation use and oxygen for industry use. The thermodynamic analysis of the conceptualized multigeneration energy hub reveals that it can generate 322 kW electrical power, 766.4 kW heat, 0.024 kg/s methanol, and 0.0362 kg/s pure oxygen with 86.03% energy efficiency and 59.13% exergy efficiency. However, the economic analysis reveals that the annualized levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of the proposed energy hub is 0.06 £/kWh without having a battery storage and 0.065£/kWh with the battery storage system. The simple payback period of the proposed system is 2.16 year and 2.75 year without battery storage and with battery storage system, respectively. Two different case studies have been carried out by replacing the SOFC-MCFC combined unit with gas turbine (GT) combined with MCFC and GT combined with aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) plant as two other alternative options for such multigeneration energy hub keeping other subunits unaltered. It has been found that the proposed system has the highest exergy efficiency, lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and payback period followed by the GT-MCFC combined plant, and GT-MEA combined plant.