Techno-economic assessment and optimization of a solar-assisted industrial post-combustion CO2 capture and utilization plant

This paper studies the techno-economic feasibility of the solar-assisted regeneration process of the largest industrial CO2 removal monoethanolamine-based plant in Iran. The plant incorporating parabolic troughs is modelled using System Advisor Model software and the weather data are derived from the European Commission's Photovoltaic Geographical Information System. Sensitivity analyses are realized to evaluate the effect of important parameters, i.e., the solar multiple and the hours of storage, and to reveal the optimum case. The studied impacts are linked to the overall net energy generation and the levelized cost of heat (LCOH). The optimum case is found to have a solar multiple of 3.1 and 18-hours of storage, resulting in a solar share of 0.7 and a LCOH of 3.85 (c/kWh). When compared to the base case (solar multiple of 2 and 6 h of storage), the optimum solution results in a similar LCOH but it achieves the generation of an additional 16,112 MWhth annually. The thermal energy supplied by the solar system leads to an annual reduction in the natural gas consumption of approximately 3.8 million m3 that results in a CO2 emission reduction of 7.1 kton. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the techno-economic feasibility of a solar-assisted regeneration process for the largest industrial CO2 removal plant in Iran, finding that the solar system can significantly reduce natural gas consumption and CO2 emissions. Through modeling and sensitivity analysis, the optimal solution with a solar multiple of 3.1 and 18 hours of storage is determined, resulting in additional thermal energy production and reduced environmental impact.