Techno-economic assessment of the sorption enhanced methanation: Levelized cost of methane, performance indicators and sensitivity analysis

This work presents the first techno-economic assessment of sorption-enhanced methanation (SEM) based on TRL-3 experimental data, comparing it with conventional methanation (CM). Experimental tests fitted a kinetic model for reactor sizing in a 200 MW e plant. While SEM requires more catalyst (223.7 kg/MW e ) than CM (70–90 kg/MW e ), both systems show similar CAPEX (∼700-800 M€). The results highlight that SEM generates three times higher income due to superior product purity. Conventional methanation often faces economic losses when producing 95% CH 4 , as levelized costs (LCOM, 2.4 – 3.3 €/kg) exceed market prices (0.5 €/kg). Although CM can be profitable at 99% purity market, SEM achieves 99.9% CH 4 , accessing a premium market (12 €/kg) that guarantees profitability even in unfavorable hydrogen cost scenarios. Consequently, SEM emerges as a key technology to enhance the economic viability and maturity of innovative H 2 production. • First techno-economic assessment of sorption-enhanced methanation (SEM). • SEM and conventional methanation present similar CAPEX. • SEM leads to 3 times higher incomes due to the purity of the CH 4 obtained. • The levelized cost of methane is 3.5 €/kg SNG for sorption-enhanced methanation. • Even at 18€/kg H2 , the market of 99.9% purity CH 4 is always profitable for SEM.