Thermodynamic Analysis of a 500-MWe Subcritical Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant with Solar-Aided Post-Combustion CO2 Capture

The energy in general and electricity, in particular, plays a key role in the development of any nation. In India, about 60% of electricity demand is fulfilled by coal-based power plants. Increasing CO2 concentration in the environment is a global problem for which coal-based power plants are the main contributors. The present study is focused on the energy and exergy-based thermodynamic analysis of a 500 MWe Subcritical thermal power plant with Monoethanolamine (MEA) based post-combustion CO2 capture. The study is further carried out by using solar energy for reducing the energy penalty against MEA regeneration. A computer software program "Cycle-Tempo" is used for simulating the plants. The study reveals that use of solar energy for MEA regeneration instead of using steam increases the plant energy and exergy efficiencies about 2.4% and 5.4% points, respectively. The CO2 avoided by the plant is 0.71 kg/kWh. The total solar collector area required is about 347.6 acres.