Techno-economic feasibility and life cycle carbon assessment of an integrated bioenergy driven direct air capture for sustainable hydrogen carrier production

The growing need for carbon-neutral chemical production requires integrated solutions that couple direct air capture (DAC) with renewable process heat and hydrogen generation. This study proposes and evaluates a Bioenergy-Driven Direct Air Capture (Bio-DAC) system that integrates biomass gasification, liquid-sorbent DAC, and solid-oxide electrolysis cells for the sustainable liquid hydrogen-carriers production. A comprehensive framework combining process simulation, pinch analysis, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle carbon assessment was employed to optimize system efficiency, profitability, and environmental performance. The integrated system captures 371 kton CO2 yr−1, autonomously supplying high-temperature heat (900 °C) via hybrid configuration of BG and natural gas while producing hydrogen through SOEC-assisted electrolysis. The techno-economic assessment revealed a levelized cost of product (LCOP) of $559.35/ton for formic acid (FA) and acetic acid (AcOH) at $818.11/ton, with respective net present values (NPV25) of $4619.24 M and $10.09 M. Interestingly, while FA demonstrates superior economic robustness, the life cycle carbon assessment indicates that AcOH achieves a slightly lower net carbon footprint (0.0106 kg CO2-eq kg−1) compared to FA (0.0111 kg CO2-eq kg−1), primarily due to higher carbon capture credits offsetting operational emissions. Global feasibility analysis across five countries showed strong economic viability of FA production under varying carbon policies, while AcOH profitability remained highly sensitive to carbon incentives. Overall, the proposed Bio-DAC configuration provides a highly integrated and low-carbon pathway for producing liquid hydrogen carriers, demonstrating the superior economic resilience and global adaptability of formic acid.