Techno-economic and performance assessment of a hybrid fuel cell-based combined heat and power system for dairy industry

This study aims to analyze electrical and thermal energy generation through solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and solar PV system. The biogas produced through anaerobic digestion, after desulfurization and refinement at 0.25 $/m³ is fed into SOFC. This on-site fuel production solves fuel transportation issues. The microgrid design simulation software “HOMER Pro” is utilized for economic, energy, and environmental analysis. The electrical and thermal energy produced by the optimum system (SOFC-PV-Batteries) is 328 MWh/year and 513.6 MWh/year, respectively. The net present cost is $1.296 million and the levelized energy cost is 0.289 $/kWh. The simple payback period for the optimum system is 4.92 years. Furthermore, the optimum system reduced carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions up to 19%, 39%, and 41% compared to gas, oil, and coal-based combustion systems, which is a remarkable achievement. This study concludes, SOFC-PV-Batteries based combined heat and power system is efficient and self-sustainable for dairy industries.