Assessment of Influential Operational Parameters in the Mitigation of CO2 Emissions in a Power Plant: Case Study in Portugal

• Published in: Clean technologies 2024-09, Vol.6 (3), p.1169-1180
• Main Authors: Balanuta, Vítor, Baptista, Patrícia, Carreira, Fernando, Duarte, Gonçalo O., Casaca, Cláudia S.S.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adiabatic; Alternative energy sources; Biomass; Biomass burning; Boilers; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide emissions; Coal; Coal-fired power plants; Combustion; Decarbonization; Emissions; Energy consumption; Flame temperature; greenhouse gas emissions; Mathematical models; Mixtures; Natural gas; Numerical models; Parameters; Plant layout; Power plants; Renewable energy sources; Retrofitting; Sawdust; Steam electric power generation; thermal power plant
• ISSN: 2571-8797; 2571-8797
• DOI: 10.3390/cleantechnol6030057

The European decarbonization goals and requirement for energy independence are mostly relying on intermittent renewable energy sources for electrification. A numerical model was developed to simulate the operation of a steam generator, allowing a study of the potential impacts of retrofitting existing coal-fired power plants to operate with biomass or coal–biomass mixtures on combustion parameters and CO2 emissions. The results obtained using the operational parameters of the Sines power plant indicate that a mixture of 25% coal and 75% pine sawdust allow operation at λ = 1.8, demonstrating that a small amount of coal allows operation near the coal combustion parameters (λ = 1.9). These conditions have the drawback of a reduction of 8.7% in adiabatic flame temperature but a significant reduction of 57.5% in CO2 emissions, considering the biomass as carbon-neutral.