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Abstract: The cement manufacturing sector is the second largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one of the most important technologies to decarbonise the cement manufacturing process. China has accounted for more than half of global cement production since 2008. This study suggests criteria to assess the potential to retrofit cement plants and analyses the economics of retrofitting cement plants for CCS with a case study of a modern dry process cement plant locating in Guangdong province, China. The study assumes the extra heat and power for CO2 capture and compression is provided by a new 200MW combined heat and power unit (CHP) (US$17.5/MWh thermal for the cost of coal). The estimated cost of CO2 avoidance by retrofitting a cement plant for carbon capture in 2012 is US$70/tonne at a 14% discount rate with 25years remaining lifetime. Through a stochastic cash flow analysis with a real option model and Monte Carlo simulation, the study found the value of an option to retrofit to be US$1.2million with a 7.3% probability of economic viability. The estimate is very sensitive to the assumptions in the carbon price model (i.e. base carbon price is US$12.00/tCO2e in 2012 and the mean growth rate is 8%). The option value and the probability can reach US$20 million and 67% respectively, if a 10% mean carbon price growth is assumed. Compared with post-combustion carbon capture retrofitting prospect in existing coal-fired power plants, the economics of retrofitting cement plants to carbon capture is less attractive. However, given the uncertainties in climate policy, regulation and carbon market, new-build cement plants in China, with long lifetime, should consider an essential level of “CCS Ready” to reduce the cost of retrofit and keep the retrofitting option open. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China is building more than 1GW of advanced coal-fired power plants every week. This interdisciplinary study investigates the technical and economic performance of retrofitting a 1000MW ultra supercritical pulverised coal-fired (USCPC) power plant locating at Shandong province in China. An ASPEN simulation model is designed to estimate the energy output penalty at different levels of capture. The retrofitted system consists of the conventional power generation unit, the additional post-combustion unit and other associated extra equipments. The ASPEN simulation results show that the efficiency penalty is approximately 8.6% for a 90% capture rate and 6% for a 50% capture rate in this retrofitting study. In addition, the simulation result of the process model is applied to analyse the value of retrofitting flexibility and the economic-viable chance of retrofitting the underlying project through a real option analysis model. The economic model reveals that the value of retrofitting option in the 1GW USCPC power plant reaches US$76 million and that a 40% economic viable possibility of retrofitting to capture CO2 in its remaining 26years lifetime under the hypothetical baseline scenario. The significant economic benefits of retrofitting an existing USCPC plant to CO2 capture implies the urgency to conduct a detail survey on the retrofitting prospect of Chinese coal-fired power plants and develop a guideline to maintain their retrofitting options open. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A qualitative assessment of the early opportunities for capturing carbon dioxide from advanced gasification plants, and of design guidelines for carbon capture ready gasification plants in China, is conducted to investigate current development in coal gasification. The assessment first illustrates the development of different types of gasification technology in China. Capturing carbon dioxide from high concentration stationary emission points could be seen as an early opportunity for carbon capture demonstration. The large scale CTL plants and chemical plants installed with advanced entrained flow gasifier should be considered as early opportunity for CCS in China. However, given that the total amount of emissions and the scale of emission sources are relatively small at those plants compared with conventional coal fired plant, the potential emission reduction is very limited. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China has been building approximately 1 GW of new coal-fired power plant per week since 2005. Power plants now in construction may continue to operate until 2040. “CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) Ready” enables and eases the subsequent retrofitting of a plant to be able to capture carbon dioxide later in that plant’s lifetime. Building on the definitions of the IEA GHG (IEA Greenhouse Gas Programme) and GCCSI (Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute), this study suggests a novel concept ‘CCS Ready Hub’ for implementing CCS Ready. A CCS Ready Hub not only includes a number of new coal-fired power plants but also integrates other existing stationary carbon dioxide emissions sources into the planning for potential infrastructure. We conducted a case study of Guangdong province in China with a detailed engineering and economic assessment in Shenzhen City. The study first reviewed the potential storage sites and analysed the existing stationary emissions sources in Guangdong using a GIS (Geographic Information System) approach. Thereafter, we focused on investigating the economic benefits of a ‘CCS Ready Hub’ at a potential 4 GW new USCPC (ultra-supercritical pulverised coal-fired) power plant in Shenzhen. Using the cost of carbon dioxide avoidance in 2020 as a criterion, we found that the concept of a CCS Ready Hub to finance CCS Ready at a regional planning level rather than at an individual plant is preferred since it significantly reduces the overall cost of building an integrated CCS system to reduce carbon emissions in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]