Net Plant Efficiency Research Articles

Appropriate thermodynamic cycles to be used in future pressure-channel supercritical water-cooled nuclear power plants

► In this study we propose two alternatives for super critical water (cooled) nuclear power plants (SCWR NPPs) that will be able to produce a net mechanical power of 1200-MW. A first solution consists of a single unit while the second one requires two identical (600-MW) systems. ► Each plant uses thermodynamic cycles based on a conventional supercritical water power plant to be built in Russia. However, its application to a nuclear power station has required some modifications. ► Both, the actual plant design as well as the modified one are modeled and simulated. In general, the results are in good agreement with the existing data. The models are then used to perform an optimization process based on the use of genetic algorithms. ► The fronts of Pareto show that the results of the original plant design are quite close to those obtained from our optimization. Furthermore, the optimization procedure clearly indicates that it is still possible to increase both the net mechanical power and plant efficiency by only changing few decision variables. ► Two 600-MW SCWR NPPs will necessitate doubling mechanical and nuclear components that increases investment and operational cost. A single 1200-MW SCWR NPP requires higher mass flow rates, which involve dimensioning of major thermal components, i.e., turbines, heat exchangers, main circuit pumps, etc. These modifications affect the internal power requirement and have an effect on the overall plant performance. A trade-off between two NPP possibilities requires a multi-objective optimization that should include economic models. As member of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), Canada has decided to orient its efforts towards the design of a CANDU-type SuperCritical Water-cooled nuclear Reactor (SCWR). Such a system must run at a coolant outlet temperature of about 625 °C and at a pressure of 25 MPa. Even though several steam-cycle arrangements used in existing thermal-power plants have been discussed by many authors, none of the proposed cycles have been optimized and adapted to the pressure-channel SCWR concept. The present work is intended to fulfil this gap by including at least two alternative solutions of SCWR power cycles that could reheat the supercritical water in the reactor core to achieve a net mechanical power of 1200-MW. Thus, thermodynamic models for preselected power cycles, their validation among existing data as well as their optimization using an “evolutionary optimization” technique based on genetic algorithms are presented and discussed.

Experimental research on the performance of CO2-loaded solutions of MEA and DEA at regeneration conditions

Amine-based post combustion CO2 capture is considered as one of the most advanced technologies to be implemented in new and existing coal-fired power plants for CCS. Although it has proven technically viable, it has not been installed on a large-scale application yet. The main drawback of the process is the high energy requirement for the regeneration of the amine solution. Values around 4MJ/kg of CO2 for the standard MEA-based process have been reported. The heat duty must be supplied by means of low-pressure steam from the power plant, which causes a decrease in the power plant net efficiency of up to 13%-points. Therefore, improvements in process technology and solvent development are important to reduce the penalty in the power plant efficiency.Results from lab-scale research on the absorption and desorption of MEA and DEA at different concentrations are presented and discussed. Absorption and desorption capacities, as well as the regeneration of the CO2-loaded solutions in a stripper column and the influence of different operating parameters have been experimentally investigated.

Thermodynamic evaluation of membrane based oxyfuel power plants with 700 ° C technology

Abstract Cryogenic air separation is the only available state-of-the-art technology for oxyfuel power plants and represents an important burden to the total plant efficiency. Nowadays, high temperature ceramic membranes, which are associated with significantly lower efficiency losses, are foreseen as the best candidate to challenge cryogenics for high tonnage oxygen production for this type of CCS power stations. In this study, two oxyfuel plant designs were developed, the first based on the state-of-the-art supercritical 600 °C hard coal plant Nordrhein-Westfalen and the second on the advanced ultra-supercritical 700 °C pulverized coal-fired power plant. The membrane-based air separation unit was modeled considering the three-end concept, where oxygen is transported across the membrane aided by a compressor at the feed side and by a vacuum pump at the permeate side. This paper analyzes the influence of both, the cryogenic and high temperature membrane air separation units on the net plant efficiency, considering the same boundary conditions and equivalent thermal integrations. Moreover, the oxygen permeation rate, heat recovery, and required membrane area are also evaluated at different membrane operating conditions.

Towards commercial application of a second-generation post-combustion capture technology — Pilot plant validation of the siemens capture process and implementation of a first demonstration case

Abstract The performance of post-combustion CO 2 capture processes depends on the applied solvent as well as on the chosen process configuration and the integration concept with the power plant. Siemens bases its development efforts on an amino-acid salt solution as solvent, which has a negligible environmental impact and provides favourable properties for a low-energy capture process. The solvent features a high chemical and thermal stability and is easy to handle. The capture process is characterized by near-zero emissions. As a first step for validation of the determined solvent and process features on an industrial scale, the implementation of the capture process in a pilot plant is required. For this purpose, Siemens has installed a pilot plant at E.ON’s coal-fired power plant Staudinger in Germany and started the operation in August 2009. The measured pilot plant process data are used to validate the computational process model, which refines the model accuracy and improves the reliability in terms of plant performance. The findings from pilot plant operation confirmed that an overall net plant efficiency penalty of less than six percentage points (without CO 2 compression) for a state-of-the-art coal-fired steam power plant can be achieved. The paper also presents experiences from pilot plant measuring campaigns with regard to the impact of trace components such as SO x and NO x . Solvent losses due to related degradation effects can be minimized by an intelligent reclaiming concept. Loss due to oxygen degradation can be estimated to be less than one percent of hold-up per year. Suitable construction materials have been qualified. The results of the pilot plant operation will serve as basis for the implementation of a demonstration plant, which will be the final step before a full-scale commercial carbon capture plant project. Siemens has been selected as technology provider for the Meri-Pori Carbon Capture and Storage project in Finland, which is a potential funding candidate of the European Flagship Programme. The Meri-Pori power plant has an installed capacity of 565 MW and the capture demonstration project is supposed to treat half of the power plant’s flue gas and to capture 90% CO 2 from the treated flue gas. In addition to the Siemens capture process, the demonstration project will include ship transportation and geological storage.

Plant flexibility of a pre-combustion CO2 capture cycle

Abstract The aim of the paper is to investigate plant flexibility for a pre-combustion cycle. That is, answering the question: how flexible is the plant to changes in operating conditions? Steady-state off-design simulations was the key component of the plant flexibility analysis. Specifically, part load behavior and dual-fuel operation of the integrated reforming combined cycle (IRCC) were studied. The idea of the plant was to use hydrogen-rich decarbonized fuel as the primary fuel and natural gas as back-up fuel. If a problem would occur in the reforming, water-gas shift, or CO 2 capture processes there might be a need to switch to a natural gas feed for the gas turbine. This led to design challenges for the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The design of the HRSG for the IRCC process was different from an HRSG design in a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plant because of the significant amount of steam production from the heat generated in the reforming process. In addition, preheating (within the HRSG) of some of the process streams could add to the complexity in HRSG design. For the concepts studied it was of importance to maintain a high net plant efficiency on both fuels. Therefore the HRSG design had to be a compromise between NGCC and IRCC operation modes. In the analysis performed, part load behavior was good with efficiency reductions from base load operation comparable to that of the reference combined cycle plant. Based on the analysis performed in the present work, it was possible to operate a complex plant like an IRCC at loads down to 60 gas turbine load while capturing 85% of the CO 2 . During start-up and operation at lower loads, CO 2 would not be captured. The investigation was done by using process simulation tools Aspen Plus by AspenTech and GT PRO/GT MASTER by Thermoflow.

Thermodynamic analysis of a hard coal oxyfuel power plant with high temperature three-end membrane for air separation

Cryogenic air separation is a mature state-of-the-art technology to produce the high tonnage of oxygen required for oxyfuel power plants. However, this technology represents an important burden to the net plant efficiency (losses between 8% and 12%-points). High temperature ceramic membranes, associated with significantly lower efficiency losses, are foreseen as the best candidate to challenge cryogenics for high tonnage oxygen production. Although this technology is still at an embryonic state of development, the three-end membrane operation mode offers important technical advantages over the four-end mode that can be a good technological option in the near future. This paper analyzes the influence of both, the cryogenic and three-end high temperature membrane air separation units on the net oxyfuel plant efficiency considering the same boundary conditions and different equivalent thermal integrations. Moreover, the oxygen permeation rate, heat recovery, and required membrane area are also evaluated at different membrane operating conditions. Using a state-of-the-art perovskite BSCF as membrane material, net plant efficiency losses up to 5.1%-points can be reached requiring around 400,000 m 2 of membrane area. Applying this membrane-based technology it is possible to improve the oxyfuel plant efficiency over 4%-points (compared with cryogenic technology); however, it is still necessary to develop new ceramic materials to reduce the amount of membrane area required.

HRSG Design for Integrated Reforming Combined Cycle With CO2 Capture

This article illustrates aspects of heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) design when employing process integration in an integrated reforming combined cycle (IRCC) with precombustion CO2 capture. Specifically, the contribution of this paper is to show how heat integration in a precombustion CO2 capture plant impacts the selection of HRSG design. The purpose of such a plant is to generate power with very low CO2 emissions, typically below 100 g CO2/net kWh electricity. This should be compared with a state-of-the-art natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plant with CO2 emissions around 380 g CO2/net kWh electricity. The design of the HRSG for the IRCC process was far from standard because of the significant amount of steam production from the heat generated by the autothermal reforming process. This externally generated steam was transferred to the HRSG superheaters and used in a steam turbine. For an NGCC plant, a triple-pressure reheat steam cycle would yield the highest net plant efficiency. However, when generating a significant amount of high-pressure steam external to the HRSG, the picture changed. The complexity of selecting an HRSG design increased when also considering that steam can be superheated and low-pressure and intermediate-pressure steam can be generated in the process heat exchangers. For the concepts studied, it was also of importance to maintain a high net plant efficiency when operating on natural gas. Therefore, the selection of HRSG design had to be a compromise between NGCC and IRCC operating modes.

Incorporation of uncertainty analysis in modeling of integrated reforming combined cycle

A systematic approach to quantify uncertainties in an integrated reforming combined cycle (IRCC) process model employing CO 2 capture is presented. IRCC involves reforming of natural gas into a hydrogen-rich fuel which is then used as gas turbine fuel. Included in an IRCC plant is also a steam bottoming cycle. The analysis treats uncertain parameters as random variables whose probability distributions are estimated from limited existing information using entropy maximization. Uncertainties of model parameters were propagated through the process model using the deterministic equivalent modeling method as a computationally efficient alternative to Monte Carlo simulations. The method also quantifies the effect of each parameter on the total uncertainty of model outputs. The IRCC process model was evaluated in terms of four performance metrics: (1) net plant power output, (2) net plant efficiency, (3) CO 2 capture rate, and (4) CO 2 emitted per kWh of generated electricity. Simulation results showed that there was considerable uncertainty in the predicted net power output whereas the other three variables were less affected by input uncertainties. The IRCC plant was predicted to have a median net plant efficiency of 43.4% with a standard deviation of 0.5%, representing a loss of approximately 13%-points compared to a natural gas combined cycle plant without CO 2 capture. Results also indicated that the probability of meeting the requirement of at least 85% CO 2 capture rate for the plant was approximately 95%. Parameters with the largest impact on uncertainties of power output and efficiency predictions proved to be gas turbine inlet temperature, and compressor and turbine efficiencies. For the CO 2 emissions, the equipment pressure drop and the steam-to-carbon ratio proved important. Therefore, the focus of future work should be to reduce uncertainties in these parameters in order to improve the confidence of the IRCC model.

S0801-1-1 多目的石炭ガス製造技術開発(EAGLEプロジェクト)の状況(IGCC/CCS)

J-POWER has been engaged in R&D activity for IGCC and IGFC in "EAGLE" (coal Energy Application for Gas, Liquid and Electricity) project. In 2007, EAGLE Step2 phase was launched to demonstrate applicability of CO2 capture technology for IGCC. This paper focuses on various test results over 1,500-hour operation of pilot-scale CO2 capture test facilities. Designed CO2 recovery rate is 90% and CO2 purity is 99% or more. At the moment, basic characteristics of shift catalyst and MDEA solvent and energy requirement (heat and power duty) in each test condition are obtained. And these data are reflected to our case study of IGCC+CCS system and quantitatively evaluated in the form of impact on net power output (MW) or net plant efficiency (HHV%).

Long-term coal gasification-based power plants with near-zero emissions. Part A: Zecomix cycle

These two part papers analyse three plant configurations for high efficiency, near-zero emissions power generation from coal, suitable for long-term installations. In the first part the Zecomix cycle, a novel power plant based on various innovative processes, is presented. Zecomix plant is based on a coal hydrogasification process, using recycled steam and hydrogen as gasifying agents, to produce a CH 4 rich syngas. Methane is then converted to an H 2/H 2O based syngas and CO 2 is captured, by reacting in two carbonator reactors with CaO-based solid sorbent. CaCO 3 produced in carbonators is thermally regenerated in a calciner. The synthetic fuel is burned with oxygen in a semi-closed high temperature steam cycle, with a supercritical heat recovery. The paper presents a detailed analysis of the thermodynamic aspects of the process, with the scope of assessing its potential performance in terms of efficiency and emissions. Main operating parameters of the chemical island (e.g. hydrogasifier and calciner pressure, steam flow rates to carbonators, syngas recycle fraction) and of the power island (e.g. pressure ratio, turbine inlet temperature and reheat pressure) were varied in order to evaluate their effect on plant performance and to optimize the process. Critical issues are specifically discussed: the calcination process, the calcium oxide utilization in carbonators, the cooling requirement of the high temperature turbine, the presence of incondensable species in the steam cycle. An accurate performance estimation is therefore developed by considering advanced components, as an evolution of today's technology, excluding unproven devices whose feasibility cannot be anticipated. Depending on sorbent utilization, a net plant efficiency of 44–47% with a virtually complete carbon capture was obtained, a very interesting result with respect to other proposed coal-fired power plants with carbon capture. The high complexity of the chemical island and the importance of a good sorbent performance should be however taken into account for a fair comparison with other plant concepts. Further experimental investigations are mandatory to demonstrate the technical and economical feasibility of the Zecomix plant.

Comparative simulation of hydrogen production derived from gasification system with CO2 reduction by various feedstocks

Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology is recognized as an alternative to conventional fossil fuel power plants for cleaner electricity generation. As well as electricity, chemical energy is also produced in the form of syngas that can be further converted into valuable chemicals such as hydrogen, dimethyl ether and synthetic fuel. This study focuses on 300 MWe scale gasification system for poly-generation of both H2 and electricity by utilizing various feedstocks while achieving CO2 capture using monoethanolamine absorption. The investigated feedstocks are pulverized dry coal and coal water slurry from Illinois ♯6 coal, bunker-C, naphtha and bitumen. A simulation model of the gasification system is prepared with the following sub-processes: fuel preparing, gasification, ash removal, acid gas removal, water gas shift, H2 purification process and combined cycle model simulated by ASPEN plus. The performance of the developed model is compared for each feedstock in terms of poly-generation and CO2 capture, according to the following evaluation parameters: cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion of the gasifier, production rate of H2, plant net efficiency and CO2 avoidance. Finally, sensitivity analysis is conducted on the following operating parameters of the shifted reactors for H2 production: divergence fraction, temperature and reactor pressure. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Partial O2-fired coal power plant with post-combustion CO2 capture: A retrofitting option for CO2 capture ready plants

In the work presented in this paper, an alternative process concept that can be applied as retrofitting option in coal-fired power plants for CO2 capture is examined. The proposed concept is based on the combination of two fundamental CO2 capture technologies, the partial oxyfuel mode in the furnace and the post-combustion solvent scrubbing. A 330MWel Greek lignite-fired power plant and a typical 600MWel hard coal plant have been examined for the process simulations. In a retrofit application of the ECO-Scrub technology, the existing power plant modifications are dominated by techno-economic restrictions regarding the boiler and the steam turbine islands. Heat integration from processes (air separation, CO2 compression and purification and the flue gas treatment) can result in reduced energy and efficiency penalties. In the context of this work, heat integration options are illustrated and main results from thermodynamic simulations dealing with the most important features of the power plant with CO2 capture are presented for both reference and retrofit case, providing a comparative view on the power plant net efficiency and energy consumptions for CO2 capture. The operational characteristics as well as the main figures and diagrams of the plant’s heat balances are included.

Design Concept of the High Performance Light Water Reactor

Abstract The “High Performance Light Water Reactor” (HPLWR) is a Light Water Reactor operating with supercritical water as coolant. At a pressure of 25 MPa in the core, water is heated up from 280 to 500 °C. For these conditions, the envisaged net plant efficiency is 43.5 %. The core design concept is based on a so-called “3-pass-core” in which the coolant is heated up in three subsequent steps. After each step, the coolant is mixed avoiding hot streaks possibly leading to unacceptable wall temperatures. The design of such a core comprises fuel assemblies containing 40 fuel rods and an inner and outer box for a better neutron moderation. Nine of these are assembled to a cluster with common head- and foot piece. The coolant is mixed inside an upper and inside a lower mixing chamber and leaves the reactor pressure vessel through a co-axial pipe, which protects the vessel wall against too high temperatures.

The comparison study on the operating condition of gasification power plant with various feedstocks

Gasification technology, which converts fossil fuels into either combustible gas or synthesis gas (syngas) for subsequent utilization, offers the potential of both clean power and chemicals. Especially, IGCC is recognized as next power generation technology which can replace conventional coal power plants in the near future. It produces not only power but also chemical energy sources such as H2, DME and other chemicals with simultaneous reduction of CO2. This study is focused on the determination of operating conditions for a 300 MW scale IGCC plant with various feedstocks through ASPEN plus simulator. The input materials of gasification are chosen as 4 representative cases of pulverized dry coal (Illinois#6), coal water slurry, bunker-C and naphtha. The gasifier model reflects on the reactivity among the components of syngas in the gasification process through the comparison of syngas composition from a real gasifier. For evaluating the performance of a gasification plant from developed models, simulation results were compared with a real commercial plant through approximation of relative error between real operating data and simulation results. The results were then checked for operating characteristics of each unit process such as gasification, ash removal, acid gas (CO2, H2S) removal and power islands. To evaluate the performance of the developed model, evaluated parameters are chosen as cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion for the gasifier, power output and efficiency of combined cycle. According to simulation results, pulverized dry coal which has 40.93% of plant net efficiency has relatively superiority over the other cases such as 33.45% of coal water slurry, 35.43% of bunker-C and 30.81% of naphtha for generating power in the range of equivalent 300 MW.

A modeling software linking approach for the analysis of an integrated reforming combined cycle with hot potassium carbonate CO2 capture

The focus of this study is the analysis of an integrated reforming combined cycle (IRCC) with natural gas as fuel input. This IRCC consisted of a hydrogen-fired gas turbine (GT) with a single-pressure steam bottoming cycle for power production. The reforming process section consisted of a pre-reformer and an air-blown auto thermal reformer (ATR) followed by water-gas shift reactors. The air to the ATR was discharged from the GT compressor and boosted up to system pressure by an air booster compressor. For the CO2 capture sub-system, a chemical absorption setup was modeled. The design case model was modeled in GT PRO by Thermoflow, and in Aspen Plus. The Aspen Plus simulations consisted of two separate models, one that included the reforming process and the water-gas shift reactors. In this model were also numerous heat exchangers including the whole pre-heating section. Air and CO2 compression was also incorporated into the model. As a separate flow sheet the chemical absorption process was modeled as a hot potassium carbonate process. The models were linked by Microsoft Excel. For the CO2 capture system the model was not directly linked to Excel but instead a simple separator model was included in the reforming flow sheet with inputs such as split ratios, temperatures, and pressures from the absorption model. Outputs from the potassium model also included pump work and reboiler duty. A main focal point of the study was off-design simulations. For these steady-state off-design simulations GT MASTER by Thermoflow in conjunction with Aspen Plus were used. Also, inputs such as heat exchanger areas, compressor design point, etc., were linked in from the Aspen Plus reforming design model. Results indicate a net plant efficiency of 43.2% with approximately a 2%-point drop for an 80% part load case. Another off-design simulation, at 60% load, was simulated with a net plant efficiency around 39%. The CO2 capture rate for all cases was about 86%, except for the reference case which had no CO2 capture.

Feasibility study on the carbonate looping process for post-combustion CO2 capture from coal-fired power plants

Abstract The Carbonate Looping process is a promising technology for post-combustion CO 2 capture from power plants by means of CaO in a system of two fluidized bed reactors. The present study focuses on the retrofit with re-powering of an existing 1052 MW el coal-fired power plant. Material and energy balances of the process have been performed using ASPEN PLUS. The effect of make-up mass flow on circulating flow, coal feed to the calciner, electrical output, net plant efficiency, and CO 2 capture efficiency is discussed. The energy penalty of 2.75% points is much lower than that of other CO 2 capture technologies.

Zecomix: A zero-emissions coal power plant, based on hydro-gasification, CO2 capture by calcium looping and semi-closed high temperature steam cycle

Abstract This paper analyzes various aspects of the Zecomix cycle, a novel coal fired power plant, based on various innovative processes to achieve elevated efficiency and zero-emissions. A coal hydro-gasification process, using recycled steam and hydrogen as gasifying agents, converts carbon to CH 4 , which is then processed by two carbonator reactors where CH 4 , mixed with steam and contacted with calcium oxide, is converted to an H 2 /H 2 O based syngas while CO 2 is absorbed by the solid sorbent generating CaCO3. The synthetic fuel produced in the chemical island is burned with oxygen in a semi-closed high temperature steam cycle, with a rather complex supercritical heat recovery steam cycle. The main relevant operating parameters for the chemical island are varied in order to evaluate their effect on plant performance and to optimize the process. In addition, the paper presents a rather detailed analysis of some critical issues, often neglected in previous works from the literature. Net plant efficiency of 44–47% with a virtually complete carbon capture was predicted, a very interesting results with respect to other proposed coal power plants with carbon capture. The high complexity of the chemical island and the importance of a good sorbent performance in the critical conditions typical of this plant should be however taken into account for a fair comparison with other plant concepts.

Technical, environmental, and economic assessment of deploying advanced coal power technologies in the Chinese context

The goal of this study is to evaluate the technical, environmental, and economic dimensions of deploying advanced coal-fired power technologies in China. In particular, we estimate the differences in capital cost and overall cost of electricity (COE) for a variety of advanced coal-power technologies based on the technological and economic levels in 2006 in China. This paper explores the economic gaps between Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and other advanced coal power technologies, and compares 12 different power plant configurations using advanced coal power technologies. Super critical (SC) and ultra super critical (USC) pulverized coal (PC) power generation technologies coupled with pollution control technologies can meet the emission requirements. These technologies are highly efficient, technically mature, and cost-effective. From the point of view of efficiency, SC and USC units are good choices for power industry. The net plant efficiency for IGCC has reached 45%, and it has the best environmental performance overall. The cost of IGCC is much higher, however, than that of other power generation technologies, so the development of IGCC is slow throughout the world. Incentive policies are needed if IGCC is to be deployed in China.

Coupling of Modular High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor with Supercritical Rankine Cycle

This paper presents investigations on the possible combination of modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR) technology with the supercritical (SC) steam turbine technology and the prospective deployments of the MHTGR SC power plant. Energy conversion efficiency of steam turbine cycle can be improved by increasing the main steam pressure and temperature. Investigations on SC water reactor (SCWR) reveal that the development of SCWR power plants still needs further research and development. The MHTGR SC plant coupling the existing technologies of current MHTGR module design with operation experiences of SC FPP will achieve high cycle efficiency in addition to its inherent safety. The standard once-reheat SC steam turbine cycle and the once-reheat steam cycle with life-steam have been studied and corresponding parameters were computed. Efficiencies of thermodynamic processes of MHTGR SC plants were analyzed, while comparisons were made between an MHTGR SC plant and a designed advanced passive PWR - AP1000. It was shown that the net plant efficiency of an MHTGR SC plant can reach 45% or above, 30% higher than that of AP1000 (35% net efficiency). Furthermore, an MHTGR SC plant has higher environmental competitiveness without emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.

Simulation of a Greenfield oxyfuel lignite-fired power plant

Scope of the work presented in this paper is to examine a Greenfield application of the oxyfuel technology for CO 2 sequestration in a lignite-fired power plant. In a retrofit application of this technology, the existing Power Plant modifications are dominated by techno-economic restrictions regarding the boiler and the steam turbine islands. On the other hand, a Greenfield construction of such a power plant implies that measures for the exploitation of heat that would be otherwise wasted will be adopted. Heat integration from processes – such as the air separation, the CO 2 compression and purification and the flue gas treatment – can result in reduced energy and efficiency penalties. In the context of this work, heat integration options are illustrated and results from thermodynamic simulations dealing with the most important features of the power plant with CO 2 capture are presented for both retrofit and Greenfield application of the oxyfuel technology, providing a comparative view on the power plant net efficiency. The operational characteristics as well as the main figures of the plants heat balances are included.