Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center

2008-09 Seminars

Operating Options for Power Plants with CO2 Capture

Hannah Chalmers
Energy Technology for Sustainable Development Group Mechanical Engineering Department
Imperial College London

Abstract
A number of significant changes in electricity generation and supply systems are likely in the future as countries respond to a global effort to mitigate the risk of dangerous climate change. This seminar will review the role that power plants with CO2 capture could play in the electricity generation mix in the short, medium and longer term. In particular, increased deployment of relatively inflexible power generation options such as intermittent renewables (e.g. wind) and, in some jurisdictions, nuclear is likely to require that fossil-fired power plants are able to operate flexibly. A range of options that should allow power plants with CO2 capture to provide necessary support (ancillary) services in the electricity network will be introduced. Some likely impacts of these potentially important operating modes on power plant economic performance will be identified and possible implications for the design of CCS regulations will be discussed.