Comparative assessment of sub-critical versus advanced super-critical oxyfuel fired PF boilers with CO2 sequestration facilities

This work focuses on the techno-economic assessment of bituminous coal fired sub- and super-critical pulverised fuel boilers from an oxyfuel based CO2 capture point of view. At the initial stage, two conventional power plants with a nominal power output of above 600 MWe based on the above steam cycles are designed, simulated and optimised. Built upon these technologies, CO2 capture facilities are incorporated within the base plants resulting in a nominal power output of 500 MWe. In this manner, some sensible heat generated in the air separation unit and the CO2 capture train can be redirected to the steam cycle resulting in a higher plant efficiency. The simulation results of conventional sub- and super-critical plants are compared with their CO2 capture counterparts to disclose the effect of sequestration on the overall system performance attributes. This systematic approach allows the investigation of the effects of the CO2 capture on both cycles. In the literature, super-critical plants are often considered for a CO2 capture option. These, however, are not based on a systematic evaluation of these technologies and concentrate mainly on one or two key features. In this work several techno-economic plant attributes such as the fuel consumptions, the utility usages, the plant performance parameters as well as the specific CO2 generation and capture rates are calculated and weighed against each other. Finally, an economic evaluation of the system is conducted along with sensitivity analyses in connection with some key features such as discounted cash flow rates, capital investments and plant efficiencies as well as fuel and operating costs.