(304g) Pathways to Carbon-Neutral Hydrogen Via Process Intensification: LCA and TEA of Mawgs Reactors with Biomass Feedstocks

As global industries work to meet net-zero climate goals, sustainable hydrogen production has become a priority to serve as a clean-burning fuel and feedstock. Hydrogen demand is growing rapidly across energy, transportation, and industrial sectors, yet most production still relies on steam-methane reforming (SMR), a carbon-intensive method dependent on fossil fuels energy-demanding separation steps. Biomass gasification offers a more renewable pathway with lower upstream emissions, particularly when paired with process intensification strategies that improve hydrogen yield and reduce overall energy consumption.

This study evaluates the environmental and economic viability of scaling palladium-alloy discs used to facilitate H2-selective Membrane-Assisted Water-Gas Shift (MAWGS) reactions, a process intensification technology that combines the water-gas shift reaction and hydrogen separation into a single step. By reducing reactor volume and auxiliary separation needs while boosting hydrogen yield, this integration also minimizes operational energy demands and capital expenditures.

A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted using TRACI US 2008 to evaluate the environmental impacts of the palladium-alloy membrane deposited on porous stainless steel (PSS). Hotspot and sensitivity analyses identify membrane materials and operating conditions as key drivers of global warming potential. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) is underway to assess the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) and inform system design targets, with Aspen Plus modeling supporting further evaluation of performance and scale-up scenarios relative to traditional two-step WGS configurations.

These findings highlight MAWGS as a promising, early-stage pathway toward carbon-neutral hydrogen from biomass. Continued research will focus on optimizing membrane performance, enabling tubular reactor configurations, and confirming long-term environmental and economic benefits over conventional hydrogen production systems.