Performance Analysis of an Efficient Integration System of Coal-Fired Power Plant, Solar Thermal Energy and CO₂ Capture

Coal-fired power plant is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The post-combustion capture is a promising method for CO₂ emission reduction but the high thermal demand is unbearable. To address this issue, solar thermal energy and CO₂ capture are jointly integrated into the coal-fired power plant in this study. The solar thermal energy is employed to meet the heat requirement of the CO₂ capture process, thereby avoiding the electricity loss caused by self-driven CO₂ capture. Furthermore, the heat released from the carbonation reaction of MgO adsorbent is integrated into the steam Rankine cycle. By partially substituting the extracted steam for feedwater heating, the electricity output of the power plant is further increased. According to the results from the developed model, the system could achieve a CO₂ capture rate of 86.5% and an electricity output enhancement of 9.8% compared to the reference system, which consists of a self-driven CO₂ capture coal-fired power plant and PV generation unit. The operational strategy is also optimized and the amount of CO₂ emission reduction on a typical day is increased by 11.06%. This work shows a way to combine fossil fuels and renewable energy for low carbon emissions and efficient power generation.