This paper provides a high-level overview of the process of determining whether a coal-fired power plant slated for decommissioning is suitable for repowering for battery energy storage, vis-à-vis alternatives such as a PV plant, bulk thermal energy storage system, or other options listed above.
Are energy storage technologies a viable solution for coal-fired power plants?
Energy storage technologies offer a viable solution to provide better flexibility against load fluctuations and reduce the carbon footprint of coal-fired power plants by minimizing exergy losses, thereby achieving better energy efficiency.
Can energy storage systems be integrated with fossil power plants?
Several studies have been reported in the literature, particularly on power plant system modeling, and integration of sensible and latent heat-based energy storage systems with fossil power cycles, . Liquid air energy storage (LAES) is another form of energy storage that has been proposed for integration with fossil power plants.
In summary, this reference plant takes 186,882 kg/hr of coal as input to produce a net power of 550 MW at full load with a net plant efficiency of 39% based on the higher heating value (HHV) of coal as mentioned in the NETL report. A comparison of the results obtained from our model and the NETL report is provided in Table 1.
There are different options on how energy can be stored, including electrical energy storage (EES), mechanical energy storage (MES), chemical and electrochemical energy storage (CES and ECES), and thermal energy storage (TES),, .
Are coal-fired power plants causing a net zero carbon scenario?
The primary issue with coal is that coal-based power plants are the source of almost 30% of the total world's CO 2 emissions . Thus, to move towards a net zero carbon scenario in the near future, it is necessary to mitigate the carbon footprint of coal-fired power plants.
What percentage of the world's electricity is produced by coal?
The world's current total energy demand relies heavily on fossil fuels (80–85%), and among them, 39% of the total world's electricity is fulfilled by coal, . The primary issue with coal is that coal-based power plants are the source of almost 30% of the total world's CO 2 emissions .