LAUSR

Abstract Sorption-enhanced steam methane reforming (SE-SMR) is a promising alternative for H 2 production with inherent CO 2 capture. This study evaluates the techno-economic performance of SE-SMR in a network of fixed beds and its integration with a solid oxide fuel cell (SE-SMR-SOFC) for power generation. The analysis revealed that both proposed systems are characterised by better economic performance than the reference systems. In particular, for SE-SMR the levelised cost of hydrogen is 1.6 €⋅kg −1 and the cost of CO 2 avoided is 29.9 €⋅t CO2 −1 (2.4 €⋅kg −1 and 50 €⋅t CO2 −1 , respectively, for SMR with CO 2 capture) while for SE-SMR-SOFC the levelised cost of electricity is 0.078 €⋅kWh −1 and the cost of CO 2 avoided is 36.9 €⋅t CO2 −1 (0.080 €⋅kWh −1 and 80 €⋅t CO2 −1 , respectively, for natural gas-fired power plant with carbon capture). The sensitivity analysis showed that the specific cost of fuel and the capital cost of fuel cell mainly affect the economic performance of SE-SMR and SE-SMR-SOFC, respectively. The daily revenue of the SE-SMR-SOFC system is higher than that of the natural gas-fired power plant if the difference between the carbon tax and the CO 2 transport and storage cost is > 6 €⋅t CO2 −1 .