Techno-Economic Evaluation of a Small-Scale Power Generation Unit Based on a Chemical Looping Combustion Process in Fixed Bed Reactor Network

This paper reports the techno-economic analysis of a small-scale power generation unit integrating chemical looping combustion (CLC) with inherent CO2 capture and power sections. In the CLC section four adiabatic fixed beds are operated using Cu as an oxygen carrier and methane as the fuel to continuously produce two hot gas streams at an approximately constant mass flow rate and temperatures of about 1045 and 1175 K, respectively. While the former is used to warm-up the inlet air, the energetic content of the latter is converted into electricity through a gas turbine system based on a combined cycle. By means of a one-dimensional numerical model, it was assessed that the net power generation of the proposed power unit is about 0.50 MW, with a global energy efficiency (51%) higher than that of alternative carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. The proposed system is characterized by better economic performance than alternative CCS-based power plants, reaching a levelized cost of energy and cost of CO2 avoided of about 54 €·MWh–1 and 31 €•tonCO2–1, respectively. By means of a sensitivity analysis it was assessed that the economic performances of the proposed system were primarily affected by the specific cost of fuel, while its economic feasibility mainly relies on the lifetime of a high-temperature valve. Under the considered conditions, a payback period of around 2.8 y and a cumulative profit in 25 y about 5 times greater than the total capital requirement were evaluated.