Title: Techno-economic analysis of a 500 MW_e supercritical coal-based thermal power plant with solar assisted MEA-based CO₂ capture

Authors: Rajesh Kumar; Sujit Karmakar

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, West Bengal-713209, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, West Bengal-713209, India

Abstract: The present study deals with the techno-economic analysis of a 500 MW_e supercritical (SupC) thermal power plant (TPP) integrated with solar assisted monoethanolamine (MEA) absorption-based CO₂ capture system and storage (CCS). The plant is modelled and simulated in a flow sheet computer simulation program, Cycle-Tempo. The analysis revealed that maximum energy and exergy losses take place in cooling water and combustor, respectively. The solar assisted CO₂ capture unit increases the plant energy and exergy efficiencies by 2.2% and 4.9%-points, respectively. The levelised cost of electricity (LCoE) generation is INR4.96/kWh. The sensitivity analysis of the plant shows that fuel cost and escalation rate are the key elements affecting the LCoE. Moreover, CO₂ avoided by this novel plant configuration is increased by 12.5%. The study also shows that the total area required for installing the solar trough is about 326 acres. The future scope of the study is to optimise the component design to minimise the losses.

Keywords: energy; exergy; CO₂ capture; solar energy; monoethanolamine; MEA.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2021.118732

International Journal of Exergy, 2021 Vol.36 No.2/3/4, pp.398 - 413

Received: 11 Jan 2021
Accepted: 28 Jun 2021
Published online: 03 Nov 2021 *

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