Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Hydrogen Cost and Performance Dataset

The Biofuels, E-fuels, and Hydrogen Cost and Performance dataset provides techno-economic assumptions as well as reference financial assumptions and scaling information, intended for potential use in sector- and economy-wide models. The data include itemized elements of purchased equipment costs, installation costs, owner?s costs, and costs typically covered by the plant owner that are outside the plant gate costs. The dataset documents efforts to harmonize methodology across all fuel pathways, including a description of consistent system boundaries to encompass the costs for each technology to access its market, documentation of differences in cost estimation methodology, reconciliation of cost differences where possible, and identification of remaining differences. This harmonization improves on the underlying technoeconomic analyses by offering a more comparable set of technoeconomic assumptions while acknowledging remaining differences. Biofuels pathways include corn ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic ethanol with upgrading to hydrocarbon fuels, biomass to hydrocarbons via Fischer-Tropsch, biomass to methanol, and biomass to methanol with hydrocarbon upgrading, and soybean oil to hydrocarbon fuels via hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA). The E-fuels pathways include carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons via syngas produced through electrolysis of water combined with reverse water-gas shift and electrolysis of carbon dioxide, followed by either FT or syngas fermentation. The hydrogen pathways include steam methane reforming, biomass gasification, proton exchange membrane electrolysis, and alkaline electrolysis. Some of the pathways include emissions control equipment and associated costs. Cost assumptions are presented in a uniform 2020 dollar year. Cost assumptions are for greenfield plants of a specified reference production capacity that varies by fuel type. Costs are given for mature technologies, but only corn ethanol and steam methane reforming have commercial plants operating at scale in 2026, so others represent future estimates.

The potential applications of the Biofuels, E-fuels, and Hydrogen Cost and Performance data include fuels, transportation, industry, and economy-wide modeling and analysis of future deployment potential. Comparable fuels data enables consideration of circumstances in which these fuels could become competitive, highlighting development considerations.