Optimised integration of post-combustion CO2 capture process in greenfield power plants

Newly built (greenfield) power plant offer the advantage of optimised integration measures to reduce the efficiency penalty associated with the application of a post-combustion CO2 capture process by wet chemical absorption. Especially, the integration of waste heat from the desorber overhead condenser of the CO2 capture unit (CCU) and from the CO2 compressor into the water-steam-cycle of the power plant offers optimisation potential.In this work, the adaptation of pressure levels in the water-steam-cycle regarding the steam requirements of the CCU is evaluated. Particular focus is put on waste heat integration by condensate pre-heating and combustion air pre-heating for minimisation of the overall net efficiency loss. The efficiency potential of the available options as well as the limits of integration, especially with respect to a power plant in commercial operation, are discussed.EBSILON® Professional is used to develop a model of the overall process including power plant, CO2 compressor and CCU. The power plant represents a state-of-the-art hard-coal-fired power plant with 600 MW power output (gross). The CCU is modelled as a black box, where the interface quantities of the black box are determined by a detailed model of the capture process in ASPEN Plus® using monoethanolamine (MEA) as solvent.