Integration of Solar Photovoltaics and Water Electrolysis for Tunable and Sustainable Syngas Production

Abstract

Synthesis gas is chemical intermediate used to produce liquid fuels, methanol, ammonia, and other chemical products. This work assesses a novel design that incorporates solar energy and water electrolysis in the production of synthesis gas. To assess this design, two case studies are performed: one which uses economic benchmarking to justify the use of solar energy and water electrolysis, and one which performs a techno-economic analysis of the proposed design in synthesis gas and methanol production. These case studies conclude that the proposed design is capable of producing 3336 tonnes per day of methanol with an annual return on investment (ROI) of 29.90. This work concludes with the recommendation that the proposed design has potential to be an economically viable option for synthesis gas production, and further studies on marketing, safety, and applications with other alternative energies should be pursued.