• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.322-330
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• 2008

This paper deals with an economic evaluation of domestic photobiological hydrogen production. We evaluate the economic feasibility of domestic photobiological hydrogen production utilizing green algae and cyanobacteria. In addition, we make some sensitivity analysis of hydrogen production prices by changing the values of input factors such as the price of a photo-bioreactor and the value of solar to hydrogen efficiency. The estimated hydrogen production price of the two-step indirect biophotolysis was 12,099won/kg$H_2$. It is expected that the hydrogen production price by the two-step indirect biophotolysis can be reduced to 2,143won/kg$H_2$ if the solar to hydrogen efficiency is increased to 10% and the price of a photo-bioreactor is decreased to $25/$m^2$. The two-step indirect biophotolysis is evaluated as uneconomical at this time, and we need to enhance the solar to hydrogen efficiency and to reduce the prices of the photo-bioreactor and system facilities.