Protonic ceramic electrolysis cells (PCECs) for a sustainable hydrogen economy: A comprehensive life cycle analysis

Using protonic ceramic electrolysis cells (PCECs) to generate hydrogen is one of prospective pathways to realize global energy transition. Aiming to deliver an in-depth environmental and economic description, an investigation combining life cycle and life cycle cost assessment is presented. Notably, the various environmental impacts of the produced hydrogen are monetized in this work through the environmental price method. Over 90% of the environmental costs are caused by the CO2 and chromium emissions throughout the hydrogen production lifecycle. Electricity consumption is identified as the dominant contributor (>96%) to the CO2 emissions. Additionally, the metallic components used in PCEC stacks, such as interconnects, contributes approximately 50% of the chromium emissions. Consequently, optimizing the PCEC stack design to minimize steel usage and increasing the percentages of renewable electricity are possible strategies to mitigate the environmental damages. Levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) rises by 7% to 5.2 $/kg H2 when the environmental costs are considered. It reveals that as the scale of hydrogen production increases, the impact of environmental costs on LCOH will decrease. This work deepens the understanding of hydrogen production using PCECs and offers potential strategies to further enhance the sustainability and economic competitiveness of the produced hydrogen.