Retrofit of CO2 Capture to Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plants

Publication Overview

Most of the power plants currently being built in developed countries are natural gas fired combined cycle plants. Such plants could potentially be good candidates for CO2 capture retrofit because they are relatively new and have high thermal efficiencies. This study assesses the feasibility and costs of retrofitting CO2 capture to modern natural gas combined cycle plants. The study was carried out by Jacobs Consultancy Netherland B.V.

Publication Summary

Retrofitting CO2 capture to natural gas combined cycle plants would increase the cost of electricity by about 2-3c/kWh, corresponding to about 70-90 $/tonne of CO2 emissions avoided.

Post combustion capture is the lowest cost capture retrofit option.

Remote fuel processing and CO2 capture plants could provide low-carbon fuel gas to a combined cycle plant but the cost would be about 0.8c/kWh higher than for on-site CO2 capture retrofit.

There are several potential barriers to retrofit of CO2 capture to existing combined cycle power plants but most of them could be overcome if the possibility of retrofit was taken into account when the power plant was designed.

Retrofitting a coal gasification plant with CO2 capture could be an attractive option in some countries where gas costs are high and coal costs are low. Capture-ready gasification plants could be built if there is currently no requirement to capture CO2.