Techno-economic evaluation of hydrogen production via biomass gasification: The role of carbon capture and storage in steam and oxygen gasification routes

Abstract

Hydrogen production from biomass represents a promising pathway for decarbonizing the energy sector with gasification technology playing a key role. This study techno-economically assesses four biomass-to-hydrogen pathways based on gasifying agent (steam and oxygen) and carbon capture integration. The energy efficiency, levelized cost of hydrogen, return on investment and payback period were evaluated to determine the technoeconomic viability of each configuration. Results show steam gasification without carbon capture and storage achieves the highest efficiency (86.6%) and the best economic indicators, including a 68.2% ROI and 1.28-year payback. The integration of carbon capture and storage process increased the LCOH value from 1.84 $/kg H2 to 2.17 $/kg H2 in the steam gasification process and from 2.66 $/kg H2 to 3.06 $/kg H2 in the oxygen gasification process. The comparative findings provide critical insights that can guide the selection and design of cost effective and energy efficient biomass to hydrogen processes.