Colloquia

Summary

The urgent need to mitigate climate change has intensified efforts toward the adoption of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies. This thesis evaluates the feasibility and efficiency of Bio-energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) using Aspen Plus, focusing on the 30% monoethanolamine (MEA) post-combustion route, considered the most advanced technology for biomass power plants. The results highlight the efficiency penalties associated with CCS integration in power plants. To mitigate this impact, a heat integration analysis is conducted to recover and reuse heat within the carbon capture system using the Aspen Energy Analyzer. Heat supply strategies are examined, including using high-temperature flue gas and diverting steam from the steam generation cycle. Additionally, the study investigates the integration of a parabolic trough solar thermal collector with energy storage into the CCS system, considering both 12-hour and 24-hour storage capacities. Finally, this thesis also investigates the environmental impacts of post-combustion carbon capture in three distinct power plant configurations: coal, natural gas, and biomass, while also integrating the solar thermal energy system. A comparison of the external costs of their value chain is made based on the True Costs approach, revealing that while carbon capture reduces CO2 emissions, it increases other environmental impacts.