NET-Fuels_Business_Case_Model_2025
Year: 2026
Type: dataset
Abstract: This Document represents the Dataset and Model used for the preparation of the paper "Business Case Modelling for the Integrated NET-Fuels System" submitted to ORE (Open Reserach Europe).Abstract of the Paper:The growing share of variable renewable electricity increases the need for flexible conversion processes that can use low-priced electricity and produce storable energy carriers. The NET-Fuels concept combines thermo-catalytic reforming, hydrogen separation and oxyfuel combustion with bioelectrochemical methanation. Using digestate as a feedstock, the integrated process produces bio-oil, biochar, hydrogen and synthetic methane. This study assesses how electricity prices and operating flexibility affect the ability of the integrated process to cover its operating costs and approach its reference annual output.An economic screening model for a representative site in western Lower Saxony uses hourly day-ahead electricity prices for the German–Luxembourg bidding zone in 2025. The analysis compares a fixed-output benchmark scheduled in the 7,000 lowest-priced hours of the year, unrestricted hourly dispatch and dispatch in non-overlapping 12-hour blocks. All process stages operate synchronously in the model. The analysis assumes perfect foresight of electricity prices and excludes capital expenditure, financing and site-specific electricity charges.At the reference output, revenues fall short of modelled operating costs even when production is scheduled in the lowest-priced hours. Price-responsive operation yields a positive gross operating margin at lower annual output. Requiring 12-hour operating blocks reduces the maximum margin by 42% relative to unrestricted hourly dispatch. Under both flexible strategies, the longest cost-covering schedule processes less than half the reference annual biomass throughput.The findings show that the duration of low-price periods matters alongside their price level. For the integrated NET-Fuels process, minimum runtime affects both the operating margin and the annual biomass throughput achievable at operating cost coverage.
Language: English
Subfield: Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225653170