Techno-economic assessment of hythane-fueled industrial SOFC systems

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems offer high-efficiency conversion of the chemical energy of fuel gases into electrical energy. To meet market and policy targets, such systems must be able of operating on an industrial scale and be compatible with environmentally friendly fuels. This study models the scale-up of a 750 W natural-gas-fueled SOFC to a 240 kW system with various gas-path configurations, evaluating the impact of blending up to 30 vol% of hydrogen (H2) into the methane feed. Aspen Plus simulations, coupled with pressure-loss and carbon-deposition models, were used to optimize recirculation ratio and reactant utilization for maximum efficiency. The parallel configuration achieved the highest electrical efficiency of 64.0 %, while series-connected and intermediate systems suffered from increased pressure losses. H2 admixture simulations confirm that operation is feasible without loss of efficiency in the small- and large-scale systems due to reduced carbon-deposition potential. A techno-economic analysis indicates a 91.7 % cost reduction through scale-up, and a 1.6 % cost increase for adjusting the system to H2 admixtures. The economic viability of the large-scale system was evaluated for all tested fuel compositions (0.201–0.204 €/kWh), with payback times under 20 years at market-relevant electricity prices. These results demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of large-scale, H2-adapted SOFC systems for industrial decarbonization.