Abstract

Electrified plasma-assisted natural gas pyrolysis (PNGP) emerges as a promising technology for low-carbon hydrogen production in this thesis, encompassing process simulation, economic evaluation, and environmental impact assessment. The technical analysis demonstrates an impressive carbon yield of approximately 95% from natural gas, showcasing highly efficient decomposition to carbon particles and hydrogen. However, PNGP requires a specific energy of 16.2 kWh/kgH2, which surpasses conventional steam methane reforming (SMR). Economic evaluations reveal the hydrogen minimum selling price for PNGP to be $4.5 per kilogram. The inclusion of revenues from carbon black production, priced at $0.4/kg, reduces PNGP’s minimum selling price by $1/kgH2, enhancing its competitiveness with SMR. Environmental assessments underscore PNGP’s potential for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when integrated with renewable
electricity sources. Comparisons with SMR and PEM electrolysis emphasize the importance of carbon black production credits in bolstering PNGP’s economic and environmental performance.
Furthermore, a comparison of the cost of avoided/captured greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between PNGP and SMR with CCS shows that PNGP offers competitive advantages, particularly
when the carbon black production credits are considered in the system. At certain electricity and natural gas price levels, PNGP’s cost of avoided/captured emissions becomes more favorable compared to SMR with CCS. This finding highlights the potential of PNGP as a promising option for low-emission hydrogen production, considering both its technical performance and environmental
sustainability.