Co-firing plants with retrofitted carbon capture and storage for power-sector emissions mitigation

Given that the global fleet of coal-fired power plants is mostly new, coal–biomass co-firing power plants with retrofitted carbon capture and storage (CBECCS) are regarded as a promising option for CO2 emissions reduction. However, the effectiveness of CBECCS remains largely unexplored. Here we develop a comprehensive assessment framework featuring a macro power system combined with spatially explicit biomass sources, coal-fired units and geological storage sites. We apply this framework to investigate the spatiotemporal deployment of CBECCS in China. The results indicate that a transition to CBECCS in 2025 could supply 0.97 GtCO2 yr–1 sequestration potential, with 90% at a levelized cost between $30 and $50 tCO2–1. A higher CO2 mitigation of 1.6 Gtyr–1 could be achieved in 2040 by increasing the unit utilization hours, corresponding to a cumulative contribution of 41.2 GtCO2 over the period 2025–2060. This study provides a useful reference for transforming coal-dominated power systems.