Elaouzy et al. (2025): Techno-economic assessment of coupling direct air capture with formic acid value chain in buildings under different scenarios
Youssef Elaouzy, Mohamed Bachir El Ghrib, Layla Oumbarech, Youssef Belmabkhout, Abdelghafour Zaabout, IN: Energy Conversion and Management, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2025.120257
Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is emerging as a promising pathway that could play a key role in enhancing the sustainability of buildings. However, the energy performance and economic feasibility of this route under different conditions remain uncertain. To address this research gap, this study provides a techno-economic assessment of a novel CCU value chain within buildings, consisting of capturing indoor CO₂ via a direct air capture (DAC) system and converting the captured CO₂ into formic acid (FA) through an electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (ECO₂RR). The produced FA is designed to be sold to the market or converted into electricity using direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) as an electricity backup solution. The energy and cost efficiencies of this value chain are evaluated under ten distinct scenarios, considering varying levels of energy needs, carbon tax, capital and operating costs, as well as electricity and FA market prices.