Life Cycle Assessment and Exergetic Life Cycle Assessment of a CO2 low emission power cycle

An Exergetic Life Cycle Assessment and a classical environmental Life Cycle Assessment have been carried out for a power cycle featuring low emissions of carbon dioxide. The configuration of the power cycle is a semi-closed gas turbine combined cycle which allows tile increasing Of CO2 concentration in flue gases. The sequestration of carbon dioxide is achieved by means of chemical absorption with blended solution of amines. The Life Cycle Assessment is mainly focussed on Greenhouse Effect during the three phases of construction, operation and dismantling of the complete plant. This is necessary to verify if the process is effective in terms Of CO2 reduction. Others environmental effects have been considered, too. Besides the classic Life Cycle Assessment, an Exergetic Life Cycle Assessment has also been performed - in which exergy is considered as an indicator of resources depletion; the aim of this analysis is to assess the environmental cost, in term of exergy losses, of the life cycle of the plant. An accurate exergy analysis of the removal plant has been carried out.