Green naphtha production via direct CO2 hydrogenation with renewable hydrogen: economic-environmental perspective.

Global petrochemical leaders are increasingly prioritizing green naphtha as a strategic pathway toward carbon neutrality. In particular, naphtha production via direct CO2 hydrogenation has received significant attention due to its potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study proposed sustainable naphtha production processes via direct CO2 hydrogenation and assessed their economic and environmental performance. To investigate the trade-offs between these aspects, five scenarios (Cases A-E) were developed based on different byproduct utilization strategies. By conducting both techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the proposed pathways. The minimum selling price of naphtha fell within $126.2/bbl-$179.1/bbl (in 2050 USD terms), demonstrating strong market competitiveness over fossil-based oil ($114-$229/bbl). Notably, increasing the conversion of C1-C4 gaseous byproducts into synthetic natural gas significantly improved the economic feasibility. In parallel, the life cycle assessment showed that a higher CO2 conversion rate into high-value products led to greater reductions in environmental impact. Among all scenarios, Case D achieved the lowest environmental burden, at -0.81 kg CO2 eq./kg naphtha.