Spacially affordable decarbonization of coal-fired power plants via membrane-based on-site CO2 absorption: A techno-economic analysis

Abstract

Absorption-tower-based carbon capture can decarbonize coal or natural gas power plants, but its large space requirement limits its applications. On-site carbon capture facilities using hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) can be retrofitted in flue gas passes of power units, thus have great potential in reducing space requirement of carbon capture functional blocks. In this paper, we present a one-dimensional mathematical model of superhydrophobic-modified HFMC and conduct a case study on 660 MW coal-fired power plant to illustrate energy, cost and space requirements of full-scale flue gas carbon capture. Results show that by retrofitting HFMC in flue gas passes, HFMC has around 40 % removal efficiency with 4 % volume of absorption towers. Energy and economic wise, HFMC has 17.22 % lower energy penalty and 37.95 % lower total annual cost than absorption towers. By extending flue gas passes, minimal energy penalty and CO₂ avoidance cost drops to 2.33 GJ/t CO₂ and 108.37 USD/t CO₂.