Sustainability assessment of an integrated High Temperature Steam Electrolysis - enhanced Biomass to Liquid Fuel process

Quentin Bernical (1) , Xavier Joulia (2) , Isabelle Noirot-Le Borgne (1) , Pascal Floquet (2) , Pierre Baurens (1) , Guillaume Boissonnet (1)

1 LITEN - Laboratoire d'Innovation pour les Technologies des Energies Nouvelles et les nanomatériaux
2 LGC - Laboratoire de Génie Chimique

This work addresses the integrated design of the High Temperature Steam Electrolysis (HTSE) and Biomass to Liquid (BtL) hybrid process. The comprehensive gate-to-gate analysis includes BtL and hydrogen production on-site operations. Simulations are carried out using commercial process simulation software - ProSimPlus® - to allow physical modeling as well as mass and energy balances; modeling is based on standard elementary and user modules and supported by various CEA (French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission) previous works. The framework for assessment is proposed. Considering productivity, efficiency, cost and environmental issues, five sustainability criteria are chosen: carbon matter yield; energy efficiency; greenhouse gas emissions; electrolysis water use; levelized biofuels production cost. Simulations results verify that hydrogen input is almost doubling the biogenic carbon conversion into liquid biofuels. They bring out significant secondary energy saving for HTSE compared to standard process; and clear advantages over alkaline electrolysis considering technical and environmental criteria. HTSE coupling allows a sharp increase in productivity (biofuels/biomass) with a limited increase in cost and environmental impacts at almost constant primary efficiency.

Mots clés: Integrated design; Biomass to Liquid; High Temperature Steam Electrolysis; Hybrid; Multicriteria

Domaines: Génie chimique; Ecologie, Environnement

Quentin Bernical, Xavier Joulia, Isabelle Noirot-Le Borgne, Pascal Floquet, Pierre Baurens, et al.. Sustainability assessment of an integrated High Temperature Steam Electrolysis - enhanced Biomass to Liquid Fuel process. Industrial and engineering chemistry research, 2013, pp. A to G. ⟨10.1021/ie302490y⟩. ⟨hal-00815296⟩