Feasibility of solar-assisted CO2 capture power plant with flexible operation: A case study in China

High energy penalty of solvent regeneration process is one of the main technical obstacles hindering the commercial application of amine-based absorption CO2 capture. It leads to 9-12% of efficiency reduction in power plants. Consequently, integrating solar energy to assist solvent regeneration for post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) has shown potential to compensate for the efficiency penalty in power plants. Owing to the intrinsic intermittence and fluctuation of solar energy, it is expected that solar-assisted post-combustion CO2 capture (SPCC) power plants would operate flexibly to optimize its techno-economic performance. This paper explores the feasibility of solar-assisted carbon capture power plant with flexible operation in terms of net profits and CO2 emissions, using optimization modelling based on the Chinese electricity and carbon trading markets. This assessment was conducted under dynamic operation of the power plant. The operational status of the carbon capture system and solar thermal system were varied. Results indicate that compared to the conventional carbon capture plant, the cumulative profit of flexible solar-assisted carbon capture plant increased by nearly 50% in a selected typical month, whilst exhibiting around 25% ructions in cumulative CO2 emissions. Importantly, the economic performance of a solar-assisted carbon capture power plant is quite sensitive to grid-on electricity tariffs, subsidies for solar derived electricity, and to the carbon emissions allowance of the carbon market.

Automated summary

Integrating solar energy to assist solvent regeneration in post-combustion carbon capture has the potential to compensate for the efficiency penalty in power plants. Flexible operation of solar-assisted carbon capture plants can significantly increase profits and reduce CO2 emissions, depending on factors such as electricity tariffs and carbon market regulations.