Techno-Economic Evaluation of Biomass Fired or Co-Fired Power Plant with Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture

Technical Report

1 October 2009

S. Cavezzali, Paulo Cotone, Franco Gaspanini, Rosa Domenichini

Citation: IEAGHG, "Techno-Economic Evaluation of Biomass Fired or Co-Fired Power Plant with Post-Combustion CO₂ Capture", 2009-09, October 2009.

Download The Full Publication Now

Publication Overview

The study aimed to investigate options and evaluate the techno-economic performance of a biomass fired, or coal co-fired with biomass, power plant based on current state of the art boiler and steam generation equipment incorporating CO₂ capture technology. It is expected that the study should provide the performance of the plant assuming the need to capture at least 90% of the total CO₂ emissions. Currently, the state of the art largest standalone biomass fired combustion power plant (i.e. between 100 to 250 MWe net) offered commercially is based on circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology. In the mid-range (i.e. between 30 to 90MWe net), the commercially offered state of the art technology would be based on a bubbling bed fluidized bed (BFB) technology. For less than 50MWe net, a stoker fired (fixed bed) system is still considered competitive compared to any fluidized bed technology. For direct co firing of biomass and coal, the technical operating limit of co-firing biomass is about 10-20% of the total thermal input.

Publication Summary

The current study evaluated the techno-economic performance of incorporating CO₂ capture and storage in a biomass fired power plant on the following four cases namely:

Case 1: nominal 500 MWe (net) co-firing of biomass and coal in PF power plant.
Case 2: nominal 500 MWe (net) co-firing of biomass and coal in CFB power plant.
Case 3: nominal 250 MWe (net) circulating fluidized bed standalone biomass power plant.
Case 4: nominal 75 MWe (net) bubbling fluidized bed standalone biomass power plant. ii The capture technologies to be evaluated were limited to post-combustion capture using a standard MEA solvent. The main considerations were: (a.) Economics (CAPEX and OPEX), (b.) Overall mass and energy balance, (c.) Impact of the CCS to the Overall Efficiency, (d.) Environmental performance.

Download Publication

Access the complete publication in PDF format.

Download Now

Related Publications

View similar publications.

View All Publications

Technical Report

The Role of Low Emissions Dispatchable Power in the Lowest Cost Net Zero System

20 September 2024
Costs of CCUS

This study explores the interdependencies of different power generation technologies in a highly decarbonised future.

Technical Report

Power CCS: Potential for cost reductions and improvements

5 August 2024
Capture
Costs of CCUS

CCS, in the context of power CCS technologies, will be an essential component of the portfolio of technologies required to reach net-zero emissions in the power sector. This study explores the potential to reduce the cost and accelerate the uptake of power CCS technologies.

Technical Review

7th Post-Combustion Capture Conference Summary

1 April 2024
Capture
Event Proceedings

The 7th edition of the Post Combustion Capture Conference (PCCC-7) was held on the 25?28 September 2023 and was jointly hosted by the IEAGHG, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and sponsored by Worley, Shell, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. (MHI).

Technical Report

Clean steel an environmental and technoeconomic outlook of a disruptive technology

1 March 2024
Capture
Costs of CCUS

This study primarily presents a comparative analysis of steelmaking pathways to cost-effectively decarbonise a steel mill, taking a life-cycle perspective on associated environmental impacts. The roll-out of clean steel technologies is envisioned to have a significant implication for support infrastructure. Therefore, a secondary objective of the study is to gain insights into the primary energy and infrastructure implications associated with large-scale deployment of different steel decarbonisation pathways. Clean steel production will likely be more expensive than steel produced today; this poses additional economic strains on steel producers and consumers. Consequently, a third objective is to estimate the price premium that clean steel could command in existing and future markets. Further, this study formulates recommendations for key stakeholders to support the sector and outlines recommendations for further work.

Technical Report

Techno-Economic Assessment of Small-Scale Carbon Capture for Industrial and Power Systems

1 March 2024
Capture
Costs of CCUS

This study, undertaken on behalf of IEAGHG by Element Energy (now a part of ERM), explores the role of CCS in decarbonising small-scale industry and power generation applications. While relatively under investigated compared to their larger scale counterparts, reaching net zero will be dependent on successfully addressing the emissions from small-scale facilities. The findings from the study will be of interest to the broader energy community but, in particular, should benefit project developers, the finance community and policymakers.

Technical Review

7th Cost Network Proceedings

1 November 2023
Costs of CCUS
Event Proceedings

The 7th edition of the IEAGHG CCS Cost Network Workshop was hosted at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, on 12-13 April 2023. The purpose of the workshop was to share and discuss the most current information on the costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in various applications, as well as the outlook for future CCS costs and deployment. For the first time, this workshop also included a session on the direct capture of CO₂ from the atmosphere. The workshop also sought to identify other key issues or topics related to CCS costs that merit further discussion and study.

Technical Report

Techno-Economic Assessment of Electrochemical CO₂ Conversion Technologies

17 October 2023
Costs of CCUS
Utilisation

This study aims to assess the costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions performance of selected electrochemical CO₂ conversion pathways. It applies a learning curve method to project costs up to 2050.

Technical Review

9th HTSLCN Meeting Report

21 September 2023
Capture
Event Proceedings

The 9th High Temperature Solid Looping Cycles Network (HTSLCN) Meeting took place from 14th to 15th March 2023 at Palazzo Farnese in Piacenza, Italy, hosted by the CLEANKER consortium. 82 attendees enjoyed a two-day programme with a total of 28 presentations, the official closure of the CLEANKER project with a visit to the pilot plant, a relaxing dinner and a guided tour in the museum of Palazzo Farnese about the millennial history of the city of Piacenza and its territory, from the preRoman age to the XX century.

Technical Review

Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Workshop, Bergen, Norway, 28th June 2022

5 August 2022
Capture
Event Proceedings

The aim of the workshop was to provide members and other stakeholders with an update on the status of CDR, identify crucial knowledge gaps and the mechanisms to resolve them, and find possible cooperation/collaboration opportunities.

Technical Review

Quantifying the Socio-Economic Value of CCS: A Review

3 August 2022
Costs of CCUS
Public Perception

As policymakers consider options at their disposal to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, understanding the socio-economic impacts on local communities and industrial regions is crucial. Integrated assessment models (IAMs) often lack the economic, social and geographic detail to fully reveal the role that CCS and CDR technologies, such as BECCS, can play in national economies – noting that deployment of both CCS and BECCS has long continued to lag expectations. Providing a multi-regional, technology agnostic and transparent quantification of the social value of these technologies may be essential to unlocking this impasse.

Our most recent publications

Our authoritative, peer-reviewed publications cover topics that include carbon capture, transport, storage, monitoring, regulation, and more.

View All Publications

Technical Report

Reviewing the implications of unlikely but potential CO2 migration to the surface or shallow subsurface

29 January 2025
Storage

CO2 leakage from geological storage is considered unlikely. However, it is important to understand environmental and health risks to ensure appropriate mitigation and monitoring is established.

Technical Review

7th International Workshop on Offshore Geologic CO2 Storage

23 January 2025
Event Proceedings
Storage

The 7th International Workshop on Offshore Geologic CO2 storage was held in Port Arthur, TX, on September 17-18th 2025.

Technical Report

Analysis of Electrolytic Hydrogen Technologies with a Comparative Perspective on Low-Carbon (CCS-Abated)Hydrogen Pathways

4 December 2024
Utilisation

An evaluation of various electrolytic hydrogen production pathways focusing on their technical, economic, and environmental aspects and comparing these with hydrogen production routes that involve fossil fuel with carbon capture and storage (CCS) abatement.

Technical Report

Measurement, reporting and verification and accounting for carbon dioxide removal in the context of both project-based approaches and national greenhouse gas inventories

15 October 2024
Industry Insights
Policy & Regulation

Technical Report

The Role of Low Emissions Dispatchable Power in the Lowest Cost Net Zero System

20 September 2024
Costs of CCUS

This study explores the interdependencies of different power generation technologies in a highly decarbonised future.

Technical Report

Geological Storage of CO₂: Seal Integrity Review

10 September 2024
Storage

This comprehensive seal integrity review, undertaken by CO₂CRC on behalf of IEAGHG, provides a detailed, updated exploration of the critical aspects of seal potential in the context of the geological storage of CO₂.

Technical Review

Insurance Coverage for CO₂ Storage Projects

16 August 2024
Industry Insights
Storage

This report is a focused review of recent developments regarding insurance coverage for carbon dioxide (CO₂) geological storage projects. It seeks to address the following: what companies are offering or planning to offer insurance to CO₂ storage projects, what is the scope and duration of the coverage offered, and does coverage extend to the transportation of CO₂ to the project site? This work and report was prepared by Franz Hiebert.

Technical Report

Managing the transition of depleted oil and gas fields to CO₂ storage

12 August 2024
Policy & Regulation
Storage

This work provides a careful and thorough exploration of the major issues involved in the transfer of use of a field from hydrocarbon extraction to CO₂ storage, to identify both the pros and cons of such a transition.

Technical Review

CO₂ Storage Site Catalogue

8 August 2024
Storage

This Technical Review provides an overview of 22 CO₂ storage sites from around the world. These include CO₂-EOR, commercial scale storage sites and a number of pilot and demonstration storage sites in both depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and saline reservoirs. Its primary aim is to provide a convenient source of collated information with a specific focus on technical information that are in the public domain.

Technical Report

Power CCS: Potential for cost reductions and improvements

5 August 2024
Capture
Costs of CCUS

Get the latest CCS news and insights

Get essential news and updates from the CCS sector and the IEAGHG by email.

Can’t find what you are looking for?

Whatever you would like to know, our dedicated team of experts is here to help you. Just drop us an email and we will get back to you as soon as we can.