These are the main advantages of IGCC technology:
- High efficiency: its efficiency is higher than other coal based power generation technologies and in addition it has a significant potential for improvement (it is expected to increase from 42% net to 50% net)
- Flexible supply. It helps towards power supply reliability because this kind of power plant can handle variety fo fuels:
- Coal (high variable quality)
- Alternative fuels (petroleum coke, SUW, biomass, etc)
- Availability of secondary fuel in the combined cycle
- Product flexibility. This type of plant can be designed to produce electricity, H2, CO2, methanol, NH3, gasoline, etc.
- Sustainability. IGCC plants contribute towards sustainable production due to these reasons:
- It is estimated that coal reserves will last over 200 years, and their geographical distribution around the world is better than the distribution of other fossil fuels
- They can use almost any fuel with enough carbon content
- Environment. The environmental advantages of IGCC technology are:
- Lower CO2 emissions compared to other types of power plants based on coal
- Low SO2, NOx and particle emissions (equal to or less than conventional combined cycle power plant)
- Lower waste production: slag, ash, sulphur and salts because they are by-products
- Lower water consumption than other plants based on coal firing.
- There is no furan or dioxins productions using organic fuel
- Economy
- The fuel used is very competitive to natural gas
- CO2 capture uses the pre-combustion technology of lowest cost compared to others.
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