Prospects for the Industrialization of Nitride-Based Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction Research Achievements: A Net Present Value Analysis

With the annual increase in carbon emissions and the warming of the global temperature, it is imperative to accelerate the construction of a green, low-carbon, circular economic system. The photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ can convert the emitted CO₂ into valuable carbonaceous products, which is of great significance for alleviating the global CO₂ emission problem. In this study, the literature on the “photocatalytic reduction of CO₂” from two Chinese and foreign databases was used as the analysis sample. From the perspective of net present value, nitride-based catalysts were selected as the research object. An in-depth analysis of the costs and economic benefits of the nitride-based photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ was carried out, considering four factors: catalyst efficiency, light conditions, discount rate, and depreciation period. The analysis results show that with a project duration of 10 years and a discount rate of 10%, the net present values of all the catalysts are negative, indicating that from an economic perspective, investment projects using general catalysts to reduce CO₂ are not feasible under current conditions. However, it is worth noting that when the light conditions are changed and sunlight is used as the light source, the net present values corresponding to the Ta₃N₅/Bi and NiOx/Ta₃N₅ catalysts have turned positive, showing a certain economic feasibility. When the yield is increased to 2.64 times and 6.15 times of the original values, the net present values corresponding to the T-CN/ZIS (refers to ZnIn₂S₄ (ZIS) nanosheets grown in situ on tubular g-C₃N₄ microtubes (T-CNs)) catalyst and the Ta₃N₅ cuboid catalyst turn positive, and only the net present value of the g-C₃N₄/Bi₂O₂[BO₂(OH)] catalyst remains negative.