Technoeconomic Assessment of Photocatalytic Methanol Production from Liquid CO₂ Using Cu-doped TiO₂

The need for cost-effective technologies to utilize large streams of captured CO₂ has driven interest in innovative solutions. Photocatalytic conversion of liquid CO₂ to methanol (MeOH) shows promise due to its operation under ambient conditions, reducing the high energy costs typical of other utilization process. However, its techno-economic viability remains underexplored. This study presents a techno-economic assessment of MeOH production via photocatalytic CO₂ conversion using Cu/TiO₂ photocatalyst. Aspen Plus was used for process simulation, and CapCost software estimated capital (CAPEX) and operational expenditures (OPEX). A plant processing 4.4 t CO₂/h and producing 1.4 t MeOH/h had an estimated CAPEX of 7.54 M$ and an OPEX of 6.70 M$/year. The levelized cost of methanol (LCoMe) production was 810.71 $/t MeOH, achieving breakeven within 25 years. Sensitivity analysis revealed that OPEX and MeOH pricing depend significantly on CO₂ capture cost allocation. This process offers promising integration potential for sustainable applications in power plants and oil and gas industry.