A General Technoeconomic Model For Evaluating Emerging Electrolytic Processes

Increasing societal concern about carbon emissions and the concomitant emergence of inexpensive renewable resources provide growing impetus for the electrification of the chemical industry. Despite notable advances in the science and engineering of electrolytic processes, there are comparatively few engineering economic studies that outline the technical specifications needed to approach feasibility. Herein, an open-source technoeconomic framework is introduced to quantify the economic potential of existing and conceptual electrolytic processes by connecting system price and performance goals with constituent materials property sets. To validate the outputs and demonstrate the versatility of this toolkit, three contemporary electrolyses of varying technology readiness levels are explored. Specifically, the model results are benchmarked against the Department of Energy hydrogen analysis model; the impact of mass transport and catalyst performance on the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide is evaluated; and a pathway to low-cost electrolytic production of phenol from guaiacol is charted. As this model is based on generalized mass balances and electrochemical equations common to a number of electrochemical processes, it serves as an adaptable toolkit for researchers to evaluate new chemistries and reactor configurations.