Biohydrogen production through biomethane steam reforming with CCUS for decarbonizing Spain's tile industry

L. Yagüe, J.I. Linares, E.M. Arenas, J.C. Romero

Results in Engineering Vol. 24, pp. 103361-1 - 103361-18

Summary:

Renewable hydrogen production is a fundamental element in the pathway towards industrial decarbonization. While electrolysis is the primary method for producing renewable hydrogen, there is considerable potential in using renewable gases to complement this process. By upgrading biogas from anaerobic digestion of organic waste to biomethane and feeding it into a steam methane reforming facility where biogenic CO₂ is captured, biohydrogen with negative emissions (HyBECCS) can be produced. This study focuses on the decarbonization potential of HyBECCS, specifically in the Spanish tile sector, assessing HyBECCS/natural gas and biomethane/natural gas blends. Results show that HyBECCS blends save over 37% of biomethane compared to biomethane/natural gas blends for the same emissions reduction. A 50% HyBECCS/natural gas blend is proposed, which requires 4.7 TWh of biomethane to meet the tile sector’s demand, representing less than 3% of Spain’s total biomethane production potential. The cost analysis reveals that this 50% HyBECCS blend, achieving a 53.4% reduction in emissions, is competitive with pure natural gas when natural gas prices exceed 16.5 €/MWh, when biomethane comes from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. This blend always exhibits lower costs than natural gas if biogas comes from landfills.

Spanish layman's summary:

Este estudio analiza el potencial de HyBECCS en el sector cerámico de España, proponiendo una mezcla 50% HyBECCS/gas natural que, con 4.7 TWh de biometano, reduce emisiones en un 53.4%. Es competitiva cuando el gas natural supera los 16.5 €/MWh y más barata si el biogás proviene de vertederos.

English layman's summary:

This study examines HyBECCS potential in the Spanish tile sector, proposing a 50% HyBECCS/natural gas blend. Using 4.7 TWh of biomethane, it achieves a 53.4% emissions reduction. It’s competitive when natural gas prices exceed €16.5/MWh and cheaper if biogas comes from landfills.

Keywords: HyBECCS; biogenic CO2; carbon capture, use and storage; hard-to-abate sectors; natural gas blends with renewable gases

JCR Impact Factor and WoS quartile: 6,000 - Q1 (2023)

DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2024.103361

Published on paper: December 2024.

Published on-line: November 2024.

Citation:
L. Yagüe, J.I. Linares, E.M. Arenas, J.C. Romero, Biohydrogen production through biomethane steam reforming with CCUS for decarbonizing Spain's tile industry. Results in Engineering. Vol. 24, pp. 103361-1 - 103361-18, December 2024. [Online: November 2024]