Abstract
Techno-economic assessment of fossil-fueled power plants with
(and/or without) carbon capture and storage (CCS) is
generally carried out at full load conditions assuming a capacity
factor of typically around 85%1−3 or even 100%.4 This
approach allows for straightforward assessment and easy
comparison between costing studies but fails to reflect current
operating conditions. Nowadays, fossil power plants hardly
operate at 85 or 100% of their availability, and this situation is
expected to remain or become worse in the future.5−8 For
example, in 2014, all of the countries included in the European
Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity
(ENTSO-E) had an average fossil fuel power plant loading as
low as 34% (on the basis of ref 9). In the U.S., in 2011, coal-
fired power plants operated at capacity factors of 38−71%.2 As
a result, the performance indicators reported for power plants
with CCS are strongly biased toward optimal dispatch, leading
to overestimation of their technical performance10 and
underestimation of their costs.11 Moreover, techno-economic
comparisons and/or optimization studies of CCS power under
the full load assumption may lead to design and/or technology
selections that are only theoretically optimal.
Therefore, the conventional methodology for technoeconomic
assessment is very limited, and a new approach is
necessary. This communication presents an approach for the
techno-economic assessment of power plants with and without
CCS. The proposed approach is both simple as well as capable
of capturing the most important techno-economic considerations
of real operating conditions. It builds on existing
methods for techno-economic assessment (e.g., ref 1), using the
same kinds of performance calculations and indicators [e.g.,
levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and specific emission
intensity]. More detailed approaches are conceivable but may
be too complex and
(and/or without) carbon capture and storage (CCS) is
generally carried out at full load conditions assuming a capacity
factor of typically around 85%1−3 or even 100%.4 This
approach allows for straightforward assessment and easy
comparison between costing studies but fails to reflect current
operating conditions. Nowadays, fossil power plants hardly
operate at 85 or 100% of their availability, and this situation is
expected to remain or become worse in the future.5−8 For
example, in 2014, all of the countries included in the European
Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity
(ENTSO-E) had an average fossil fuel power plant loading as
low as 34% (on the basis of ref 9). In the U.S., in 2011, coal-
fired power plants operated at capacity factors of 38−71%.2 As
a result, the performance indicators reported for power plants
with CCS are strongly biased toward optimal dispatch, leading
to overestimation of their technical performance10 and
underestimation of their costs.11 Moreover, techno-economic
comparisons and/or optimization studies of CCS power under
the full load assumption may lead to design and/or technology
selections that are only theoretically optimal.
Therefore, the conventional methodology for technoeconomic
assessment is very limited, and a new approach is
necessary. This communication presents an approach for the
techno-economic assessment of power plants with and without
CCS. The proposed approach is both simple as well as capable
of capturing the most important techno-economic considerations
of real operating conditions. It builds on existing
methods for techno-economic assessment (e.g., ref 1), using the
same kinds of performance calculations and indicators [e.g.,
levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and specific emission
intensity]. More detailed approaches are conceivable but may
be too complex and
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1047-1049 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Energy and Fuels |
| Volume | 31 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 19 Jan 2017 |