Cost competitiveness of double perovskite BCNF-based thermochemical hydrogen production: A preliminary techno-economic study

This communication presents a preliminary techno-economic assessment of hydrogen production via a double perovskite (Ba 2 Ca 0.66 Nb 0.34 FeO 6-δ , BCNF) based thermochemical redox cycle. Although this emerging route has recently been proposed and experimentally demonstrated, its economic viability has not previously been evaluated, limiting understanding of its potential for large-scale low-carbon hydrogen supply. This study therefore provides the first economic basis for assessing whether the BCNF route could become a competitive alternative to established hydrogen pathways. Using a consistent discounted cash-flow framework, the BCNF route was benchmarked against green hydrogen from electrolysis and blue hydrogen from steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage at an industrially relevant scale of 200 ton H 2 /day over a 30-year plant life across the UK, EU27, Japan, China and Australia. Without oxygen credit, the BCNF route generally shows the most favourable levelised cost range among the three pathways, with the most favourable BCNF range observed in Australia (0.38–2.84 USD/kg) due to its low renewable electricity price. When oxygen is treated as an indicative co-product credit, the calculated levelised cost of hydrogen of both BCNF and green hydrogen decreases further, although the magnitude of this reduction depends on oxygen-market assumptions. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses identify heat recovery rate, hydrogen yield, renewable electricity tariff, and BCNF utilisation ratio as the dominant cost drivers. Overall, the results suggest that BCNF-based thermochemical hydrogen production method is not only technically interesting but also economically promising for future low-carbon hydrogen production, particularly in regions with low-cost renewable electricity. The analysis further indicates that improvements in redox performance, thermal integration, effective material utilisation, and targeting regions with favourable electricity markets will be essential for future deployment.