Economic and environmental sustainability of a photoelectrolysis cell for hydrogen production

This work includes the first results of research carried out within the framework of the "Piano Triennale di realizzazione 2022-2024 della Ricerca di Sistema Elettrico Nazionale" programme, funded by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security. It consists of an Environmental LCC (eLCC) analysis of a novel photoelectrolysis cell. Calculations were performed on a laboratory prototype cell of 10 cm2 and scaled up to a commercial cell of 80 cm2. The analysis included the calculation of capital expenditure (CAPEX), such as the purchase of equipment, and operating expenditures (OPEX). In particular, based on an approach already used in the literature, the Net Present Value (NPV) was calculated to assess the economic viability of the investment.To economically evaluate the cost of externalities, and thus monetise the environmental impact, reference was made to the calculation methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) through the ‘EVR’ and ‘Environmental Price’ of emissions using the IDEMAT 2023 tool (Industrial Design & Engineering MATerials database)