Integration of a power-to-X process to a fuel production process and cost assessment

Power-to-X (PtX) consists of the conversion of renewable electricity (P) to an energy carrier (X) that can be stored, transported and further utilized in the industry, transport, and power sectors. Even though these pathways are expected to reach significant cost reductions by 2050, most of them are still not competitive, and finding consistent information for techno-economic parameters for these processes is challenging. Not seldom PtX projects face difficulties with scaling up. In most of the found studies on PtX, developers focus on specific routes for PtX and disregard the integration of each phase of the process as well between the core process to a fuel production route. This approach may lead to future constraints on scaling up that could be avoided if noted in an earlier stage of technological development. Process integration techniques are relevant for energy conservation and a key approach to make sustainable technologies more efficient. The present work integrates a new and cost-effective Power-to-X pathway that uses flue gas, a typical packed bed reactor, an iron-based catalyst and hydroelectricity to produce synthesis gas (syngas) to a low-carbon fuel route like Fischer-Tropsch to produce synthetic crude oil (syncrude). This new PtX pathway bypasses the expensive production of hydrogen through water electrolysis and has flexible requirements for CO 2 purification. Hence, it has great potential for decreasing capital and operational costs of Power-to-X technologies.