On the operability of power plants with CO2 capture and storage

AbstractThere exists within the electricity generation sub-sector the potential for substantial GHG reductions through the application of CO2 capture and storage technologies. Many assessments of the cost and performance of power plants with CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) have been undertaken but these studies almost always omit considering operability: the ability of a process to operate satisfactorily under conditions different than the nominal design conditions.Electricity systems rely upon generators with a high degree of operability in order to meet variations in power demand, ambient conditions, fuel supply, etc. and the need for operability is expected to increase in the future. The operability of CCS technologies could have a major impact on the extent to which CCS is used in the years to come and it could also affect the choice of the optimum CO2 capture technology.The attention given to the operability of power plants with CCS is in sharp contrast to its potential significance; only a handful of the research groups contributing to the sizeable CCS literature are explicitly investigating the operability of these technologies. This paper seeks to correct this oversight and proposes the scope of a comprehensive comprehensive assessment of the leading CO2 capture schemes—pre-combustion, post-combustion, and oxy-combustion— with respect to operability.In the final analysis, a layered approach is suggested with four major study areas: •flexibility•controllability•start-up/shutdown characteristics•assessment of trade-offs between operability and costWhile the proposed undertaking is ambitious, it is believed that by building upon the existing process modelling and simulation expertise that exists with the CCS community, the work could be completed within a reasonable amount of time