CARBON FOOTPRINT OF A SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL POWER PLANT

Currently, interest in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power plants as small-scale generation facilities has increased. To assess the carbon footprint of fuel use in a SOFC power plant, it is necessary to take into account the stages of the fuel and power plant life cycles. The article presents an integrated approach to assessing the life cycle of SOFC power plants and analyzing their environmental impact. The main parameters, characteristics, and resources used to assess the life cycle stages of SOFC power plants are presented, and the contribution of materials to the carbon footprint of power plant production is assessed. A 2.5 kW SOFC pilot power plant developed in Russia was used for the research. Based on the carbon footprint assessment of the SOFC power plant under consideration, it was determined that the main contribution is made by the operation stage (about 70%), while the total carbon footprint was 516.9 g CO2-eq./kWh. It was determined that the carbon footprint of the considered power plant based on SOFC with a capacity of 2.5 kW is comparable to the carbon footprint of other power plants, which indicates its efficiency in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.