Hybrid Waste-to-Hydrogen Production: Integrated Life Cycle and Techno-Economic Assessment

Rapid urbanization in Lahore has significantly increased the amount of municipal solid waste, creating an urgent need for solutions that convert waste into low-carbon energy. This study evaluates the hybrid anaerobic digestion of organic fraction and steam gasification of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) as a waste-to-hydrogen pathway. To quantify environmental impacts, a life cycle assessment using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint/Endpoint method was carried out. In addition, scenario modelling was used to study the substitution of grid electricity with PV power, while a techno-economic assessment estimated investment metrics, capital and operating costs and revenue streams. The global warming and terrestrial ecotoxicity are the highest burdens as indicated by the midpoints (climate burden ≈ 1.47×10^2 kg CO₂-eq, ecotoxicity burden on terrestrial ecosystems ≈ 56 kg 1,4-DB-eq per 1000 kg functional unit), while the principal burdens identified by the hotspot analysis are the steam gasification processes (≈34.9 % of climate burden) and the anaerobic digestion processes (≈12.61 %). By using scenario modelling, including photovoltaic integration, the climate impact was reduced to ≈ 9.40×10^1 kg CO₂-eq, and fossil resource depletion and particulate emissions were significantly decreased, while some material burden was shifted upstream. The results of the techno-economic analysis showed that the project is feasible. The capital investment was estimated at $159 600, while the annual operating cost was around $130 028. Annual revenue was estimated at approximately $230 611, resulting in a positive profit. In addition, the net present value (NPV) exceeded $1 000 000 and the payback period was estimated at about....