Exploration of the potential of direct electricity-driven urea synthesis: Techno-economic analysis of an electrocatalytic process coupling with a supercritical carbon dioxide-based power plant

Abstract

Direct electrocatalytic synthesis of urea from N2 and CO2 has the potential to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint compared to Haber-Bosch-based processes. In this study, an industrial-scale urea production process integrating an air separation unit, supercritical carbon dioxide-based power plants, and a direct electrochemical reactor is proposed. Economic analysis based on the simulated process reveals that the levelized cost of urea (LCOU) can be reduced to $ 760 tonUrea-1 at a urea production rate range of 700,000 ton y-1 with 50 % Faradaic efficiency using a Pd/TiO2 catalyst. However, the LCOU ranges from $ 1514 to 3713 tonUrea-1 for urea production rates between 169,569 and 449,526 ton y-1 under current technology performance levels. Therefore, while direct electrocatalyst synthesis of urea using renewable electricity offers a promising, further development in electrocatalyst efficiency and process integration into industrial systems are essential to achieve economic feasibility.