Techno-Economic Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine Hybrid Systems for Stationary Power Applications Using Renewable Hydrogen

Abstract

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)–gas turbine (GT) hybrid systems can produce power at high electrical efficiencies while emitting virtually zero criteria pollutants (e.g., ozone, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, and particulate matters). This study presents new insights into renewable hydrogen (RH2)-powered SOFC–GT hybrid systems with respect to their system configuration and techno-economic analysis motivated by the need for clean on-demand power. First, three system configurations are thermodynamically assessed: (I) a reference case with no SOFC off-gas recirculation, (II) a case with cathode off-gas recirculation, and (III) a case with anode off-gas recirculation. While these configurations have been studied in isolation, here we provide a detailed performance comparison. Moreover, a techno-economic analysis is conducted to study the economic competitiveness of RH2-fueled hybrid systems and the economies of scale by offering a comparison to natural gas (NG)-fueled systems. Results show that the case with anode off-gas recirculation, with 68.50%-lower heating value (LHV) at a 10 MW scale, has the highest efficiency among the studied scenarios. When moving from 10 MW to 50 MW, the efficiency increases to 70.22%-LHV. These high efficiency values make SOFC–GT hybrid systems highly attractive in the context of a circular economy as they outcompete most other power generation technologies. The cost-of-electricity (COE) is reduced by about 10% when moving from 10 MW to 50 MW, from USD 1976/kW to USD 1668/kW, respectively. Renewable H2 is expected to be economically competitive with NG by 2030, when the U.S. Department of Energy’s target of USD 1/kg RH2 is reached.

Heat Pumps for Germany—Additional Pressure on the Supply–Demand Equilibrium and How to Cope with Hydrogen

“…While the first issue is complex and location-dependent, there is a lot of research about fuel cell technology and cost. High-end fuel cells generating electricity at efficiencies of 70% or higher degrees are estimated to have a range of about 65 USD/MWh to 87 USD/MWh leveraged cost of energy [27]. According to [27], assuming a EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.08, 5000 operating hours per year, and 20 years of operation, the 100% fuel cell options would add costs of between 18.24 and 15.37 EUR/MWh to the tables above.…”

A Critical Review of the Advancement Approach and Strategy in SPEEK-Based Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Application

“…It has a high energy conversion efficiency and is environmentally friendly. The FC exhibits superior electrical efficiency (≥40%) compared to other renewable technologies, such as turbine generators (30–40%), reciprocating engines (≈35%), wind turbines (≈25%), and photovoltaics (6–20%). , Utility power stations and low-power charging for laptops and mobile phones are among the various applications that use FCs. To widely implement hydrogen FCs, the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) states that the membrane must possess specific characteristics.…”