High efficiency and low cost of electricity generation from fossil fuels while eliminating atmospheric emissions, including carbon dioxide

NET Power has developed a novel, oxy-fuel thermodynamic power cycle [1] that uses hydrocarbon fuels, captures 100% of atmospheric emissions, including all carbon dioxide, and has a cost of electricity that is highly competitive with the best current systems that do not have CO2 capture. The proprietary system achieves these results through a closed-loop, high-pressure, low-pressure-ratio recuperated Brayton cycle that uses supercritical CO2 as the working fluid. The cycle exploits the special thermodynamic properties of carbon dioxide as a working fluid by eliminating the energy losses that steam-based cycles encounter due to the heat of vaporization and condensation. The compelling economics of the system are driven by high target efficiencies - 59% net LHV for natural gas and 51% net LHV for coal - and low projected capital and O&M costs, which are the result of utilizing only a single turbine, having a smaller plant footprint, and requiring fewer, smaller components than comparable fossil-fuel systems. NET Power, Toshiba Corporation, Exelon Corporation, and the Shaw Power Group are partnering to commercialize this system by developing a 50MWt facility that is scheduled to begin testing in 2014. This facility will generate electricity from natural gas and capture 100% of emissions, including all CO2. The initial design for a commercial system with an electrical output in the range of 200MWt to 500MWt is also under development. The turbine for the 50MWt plant is being designed at the 500MWt level and then scaled down for the demonstration plant to facilitate rapid development of the large-scale turbine in the future. The demonstration plant will test all components and control systems and the operability of the cycle, including 100% capture of carbon dioxide and other impurities, using a range of fuel gas compositions. The NET Power cycle will have an important impact on the power industry's ability to control and limit greenhouse gas emissions. Driven by its competitive cost when compared to state-of-the-art technologies without CO2 capture, the authors believe the NET Power cycle will remove economic barriers to the deployment of 100%-carbon-capture, fossil-fuel-based electricity generation technology. This will enable both the developed and developing world to produce cheap electricity that does not contribute to CO2-based climate change. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of GHGT