Capture and sequestration of CO 2 from fossil fuel power plants is gaining widespread interest as a potential method of controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Performance and cost models of an amine (MEA)-based CO 2 absorption system for post-combustion flue gas applications have been developed, and integrated with an existing power plant modeling framework that includes multipollutant control technologies for other regulated emissions. The integrated model has been applied to study the feasibility and cost of carbon capture and sequestration at both new and existing coal-burning power plants. The cost of carbon avoidance was shown to depend strongly on assumptions about the reference plant design, details of the CO 2 capture system design, interactions with other pollution control systems, and method of CO 2 storage. The CO 2 avoidance cost for retrofit systems was found to be generally higher than for new plants, mainly because of the higher energy penalty resulting from less efficient heat integration, as well as sitespecific difficulties typically encountered in retrofit applications. For all cases, a small reduction in CO 2 capture cost was afforded by the SO 2 emission trading credits generated by amine-based capture systems. Efforts are underway to model a broader suite of carbon capture and sequestration technologies for more comprehensive assessments in the context of multi-pollutant environmental management.
DOE/DE-FC26-00NT40935 i
AcknowledgmentsThis report is an account of research sponsored by the