Optimal operation of MEA-based post-combustion carbon capture process for natural gas combined cycle power plants

Carbon capture for fossil fuel power generation draws an increasing attention because of significant challenges of global climate change. This paper aims to explore the optimal operation of MEA-based post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) process for natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant. Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is formulated as the objective function to be minimized in optimization. The rate-based steady-state process model including the absorber, stripper and compression train and other auxiliary equipment was developed in Aspen Plus® to give accurate prediction of process performance. The techno-economic estimate was carried out for the base case for whole chain of NGCC integrated with PCC, CO₂ transport and storage (T&S). The optimal operations were investigated for the carbon capture level under different carbon price, fuel price and CO₂ T&S price. The study shows carbon price needs to be more than 100 EUR/ton CO₂ to justify the total cost of carbon capture from the NGCC power plant and needs to be around 150 EUR/ton CO₂ to drive carbon capture level to 90–95%. Higher NG price and CO₂ T&S price would cause a greater operating cost of running carbon capture process; thus a higher carbon price is needed to rejustify the cost of high carbon capture level of PCC process.