TECHNOECONOMIC FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF HYDROGEN PRODUCTION BY INTEGRATED CERAMIC MEMBRANE SYSTEM

Praxair, with Argonne National Laboratory as a subcontractor, has initiated a program to develop a small-scale hydrogen production system based on ceramic oxygen transport membrane (OTM) and hydrogen transport membrane (HTM). This system has a potential to significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen for use in the transportation sector for fuel cell vehicle fueling stations and in the industrial sector as a small, on-site hydrogen supply. This paper summarizes the results obtained from a technoeconomic feasibility evaluation, as well as the associated HTM performance. Based on the preliminary economic evaluation, the projected hydrogen cost from a 5,000 scfh plant will be in the range of $11 to $14/MMBtu, depending on the number of plants built each year. A significant membrane development program will be required to achieve this cost. To meet the Department of Energy (DOE) target of $6 to $8/MMBtu, an additional development program will also be required to reduce the cost of the balance of the plant equipment