IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v245y2025ics0960148125004549.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Scaling down analysis of e-methane production: Advancing towards distributed manufacturing

Author

Listed:
  • Santamaría, Diego
  • Sánchez, Antonio
  • Martín, Mariano

Abstract

The reduction of CO2 emissions is crucial for controlling global warming. Within the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) initiative, chemical production is appealing. Methane stands out due to its extended use and compatibility with the current natural gas infrastructure. Since CO2 emissions are highly distributed, a scale analysis of e-methane production is essential. This work presents a scale study of carbon capture and hydrogenation to produce methane. Three technologies for carbon capture (absorption, adsorption, and membrane separation) and two reactor designs (isothermal multitubular, and adiabatic multibed) are analyzed and three different scenarios are proposed: continuous, semi-modular, and modular. Module units are based on a 1.3 MW electrolyzer housed in a sea container. Adsorption is the most profitable carbon capture technology. The optimal operational scenario varies with the amount of CO2 treated. Prices for methane produced range from 40 to 60 $/million BTU for continuous scenario, from 40 to 55 $/million BTU for semi-modular scenario and from 50 to 70 $/million BTU for modular scenario. Although the prices are not competitive, they can be reduced considering the carbon credits and, in addition, these processes prevent CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and ensure methane availability for energy storage or as an energy carrier system.

Suggested Citation

  • Santamaría, Diego & Sánchez, Antonio & Martín, Mariano, 2025. "Scaling down analysis of e-methane production: Advancing towards distributed manufacturing," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:245:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125004549
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.122792
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148125004549
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2025.122792?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kristóf Kummer & Attila R. Imre, 2021. "Seasonal and Multi-Seasonal Energy Storage by Power-to-Methane Technology," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-13, June.
    2. Qi, Meng & Lee, Jaewon & Hong, Seokyoung & Kim, Jeongdong & Liu, Yi & Park, Jinwoo & Moon, Il, 2022. "Flexible and efficient renewable-power-to-methane concept enabled by liquid CO2 energy storage: Optimization with power allocation and storage sizing," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    3. Lv, Zongze & Du, Hong & Xu, Shaojun & Deng, Tao & Ruan, Jiaqi & Qin, Changlei, 2024. "Techno-economic analysis on CO2 mitigation by integrated carbon capture and methanation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 355(C).
    4. Chao, Cong & Deng, Yimin & Dewil, Raf & Baeyens, Jan & Fan, Xianfeng, 2021. "Post-combustion carbon capture," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    5. Olajire, Abass A., 2010. "CO2 capture and separation technologies for end-of-pipe applications – A review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 2610-2628.
    6. Davis, William & Martín, Mariano, 2014. "Optimal year-round operation for methane production from CO2 and water using wind energy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 497-505.
    7. Gorre, Jachin & Ruoss, Fabian & Karjunen, Hannu & Schaffert, Johannes & Tynjälä, Tero, 2020. "Cost benefits of optimizing hydrogen storage and methanation capacities for Power-to-Gas plants in dynamic operation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    8. Negri, Valentina & Galán-Martín, Ángel & Pozo, Carlos & Fajardy, Mathilde & Reiner, David M. & Mac Dowell, Niall & Guillén-Gosálbez, Gonzalo, 2021. "Life cycle optimization of BECCS supply chains in the European Union," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    9. Ghafoori, Mohammad Samim & Loubar, Khaled & Marin-Gallego, Mylène & Tazerout, Mohand, 2022. "Techno-economic and sensitivity analysis of biomethane production via landfill biogas upgrading and power-to-gas technology," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PB).
    10. Blanco, Herib & Codina, Victor & Laurent, Alexis & Nijs, Wouter & Maréchal, François & Faaij, André, 2020. "Life cycle assessment integration into energy system models: An application for Power-to-Methane in the EU," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Georgios Varvoutis & Athanasios Lampropoulos & Evridiki Mandela & Michalis Konsolakis & George E. Marnellos, 2022. "Recent Advances on CO 2 Mitigation Technologies: On the Role of Hydrogenation Route via Green H 2," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-38, June.
    2. Kim, Jeongdong & Qi, Meng & Park, Jinwoo & Moon, Il, 2023. "Revealing the impact of renewable uncertainty on grid-assisted power-to-X: A data-driven reliability-based design optimization approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 339(C).
    3. Sánchez, Antonio & Martín, Mariano & Zhang, Qi, 2021. "Optimal design of sustainable power-to-fuels supply chains for seasonal energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    4. Choe, Changgwon & Cheon, Seunghyun & Kim, Heehyang & Lim, Hankwon, 2023. "Mitigating climate change for negative CO2 emission via syngas methanation: Techno-economic and life-cycle assessments of renewable methane production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    5. Qi, Meng & Vo, Dat Nguyen & Yu, Haoshui & Shu, Chi-Min & Cui, Chengtian & Liu, Yi & Park, Jinwoo & Moon, Il, 2023. "Strategies for flexible operation of power-to-X processes coupled with renewables," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    6. Fózer, Dániel & Volanti, Mirco & Passarini, Fabrizio & Varbanov, Petar Sabev & Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Mizsey, Péter, 2020. "Bioenergy with carbon emissions capture and utilisation towards GHG neutrality: Power-to-Gas storage via hydrothermal gasification," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    7. Máté Zavarkó & Attila R. Imre & Gábor Pörzse & Zoltán Csedő, 2021. "Past, Present and Near Future: An Overview of Closed, Running and Planned Biomethanation Facilities in Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-27, September.
    8. Kobayashi, Makoto & Akiho, Hiroyuki & Nakao, Yoshinobu, 2015. "Performance evaluation of porous sodium aluminate sorbent for halide removal process in oxy-fuel IGCC power generation plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(P3), pages 320-327.
    9. Wang, Shuaibing & Lin, Haitao & Abed, Azher M. & Mahariq, Ibrahim & Ayed, Hamdi & Mouldi, Abir & Lin, Zhixiang, 2024. "Life cycle analysis of biowaste-to- biogas/biomethane processes: Cost and environmental assessment of four different biowaste scenarios organic fraction of municipal solid waste and secondary sewage s," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 308(C).
    10. Zhao, Zhijun & Xing, Xiao & Tang, Zhigang & Zheng, Yong & Fei, Weiyang & Liang, Xiangfeng & Ataeivarjovi, E. & Guo, Dong, 2018. "Experiment and simulation study of CO2 solubility in dimethyl carbonate, 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and their mixtures," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 35-42.
    11. Lim, Juin Yau & Safder, Usman & How, Bing Shen & Ifaei, Pouya & Yoo, Chang Kyoo, 2021. "Nationwide sustainable renewable energy and Power-to-X deployment planning in South Korea assisted with forecasting model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    12. Narukulla, Ramesh & Chaturvedi, Krishna Raghav & Ojha, Umaprasana & Sharma, Tushar, 2022. "Carbon dioxide capturing evaluation of polyacryloyl hydrazide solutions via rheological analysis for carbon utilization applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    13. Hasret Sahin & A. A. Solomon & Arman Aghahosseini & Christian Breyer, 2024. "Systemwide energy return on investment in a sustainable transition towards net zero power systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    14. Song, Xueyi & Yuan, Junjie & Yang, Chen & Deng, Gaofeng & Wang, Zhichao & Gao, Jubao, 2023. "Carbon dioxide separation performance evaluation of amine-based versus choline-based deep eutectic solvents," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    15. Dindi, Abdallah & Quang, Dang Viet & Abu-Zahra, Mohammad R.M., 2015. "Simultaneous carbon dioxide capture and utilization using thermal desalination reject brine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 298-308.
    16. Vega, F. & Baena-Moreno, F.M. & Gallego Fernández, Luz M. & Portillo, E. & Navarrete, B. & Zhang, Zhien, 2020. "Current status of CO2 chemical absorption research applied to CCS: Towards full deployment at industrial scale," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    17. Victor Hugo Souza de Abreu & Victória Gonçalves Ferreira Pereira & Laís Ferreira Crispino Proença & Fabio Souza Toniolo & Andrea Souza Santos, 2023. "A Systematic Study on Techno-Economic Evaluation of Hydrogen Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-23, September.
    18. Mehar Ullah & Daniel Gutierrez-Rojas & Eero Inkeri & Tero Tynjälä & Pedro H. J. Nardelli, 2022. "Operation of Power-to-X-Related Processes Based on Advanced Data-Driven Methods: A Comprehensive Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-17, October.
    19. Gemina Quest & Rosalie Arendt & Christian Klemm & Vanessa Bach & Janik Budde & Peter Vennemann & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2022. "Integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Power and Heat Supply for a Neighborhood: A Case Study of Herne, Germany," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-21, August.
    20. Budzianowski, Wojciech Marcin, 2011. "Can ‘negative net CO2 emissions’ from decarbonised biogas-to-electricity contribute to solving Poland’s carbon capture and sequestration dilemmas?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 6318-6325.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:245:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125004549. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.