Is Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle with Carbon Capture-Storage the Solution for Conventional Coal Power Plants

Abstract

Electric power generation and distribution has become an important part of our day-to-day activities. However, with the ever-growing awareness of environmental concerns as well as higher air emission and water standards, this industry has been under constant pressure to find better, more economical solutions for generating electric power. Coal is one fuel that powers about 50% of our electricity-generating facilities and is available in abundance compared with some other fuels used in the power industry. Most pulverized coal plants are subcritical and use conventional technology. However, there are more modern super-critical and ultra super critical pulverized coal plants that use advanced technology, resulting in better efficiency and lower emissions. Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants are relatively new and offer high efficiencies and reduced emissions. The biggest advantage with these plants is the ability and ease to capture carbon dioxide. Hence, they are referred to as capture ready, with comparatively much lower costs for capturing greenhouse gas (CO2). Despite the promise of this technology, it is still being developed and tested and is not half as mature as pulverized coal plant technologies. IGCC power plants have much higher capital and overall costs than pulverized coal (PC) plants. As time goes by, however, this technology will improve and further mature. Thus, the economic gap between these two power plant technologies will be reduced. The IGCC operating and maintenance costs also will go down with time. At present, costs for both super critical and IGCC plants are similar, but numerous unknowns associated with the IGCC plants could drive the costs of these plants up. The emissions for most gases are much lower with IGCC than with PC coal plants. Future regulations for the greenhouse gas CO2 will drive up the trading costs for CO2. Since IGCC plants are capture ready, it will be much cheaper to capture CO2 with IGCC than with PC coal plants. This is one of the greatest selling points of IGCC, in addition to its advantages in terms of emissions and efficiency. Economics is the biggest hurdle for IGCC power plants at present, as well as the unknowns and lack of maturity associated with the technology. Even though there is an intense discussion about carbon capture and storage, as of today there is not even a single IGCC plant with a carbon capture and storage facility. However, some of the CCS technologies have been tried for some industrial plants. Despite all the uncertainties attached to IGCC, this technology used along with Carbon capture and storage (CCS) still holds great potential and has a bright future. What is needed at present are some additional incentives in the form of subsidies from federal, state and local government.