Economics of gasification integrated power-chemical co-production plants

The use of coal and refinery residual fuels for power generation through integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants have been successfully demonstrated and many large-scale commercial projects are now in various phases of development. The syngas produced from gasification of solid fuels or low-grade refinery residues can be formulated to imitate the syngas produced from the reforming of conventional hydrocarbon feedstocks. With the advancement in the gasification technology, it is technically feasible to produce basic chemicals such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methanol, and reducing gas from coal or refinery by-products. While the capital plant cost of a natural gas fired combined cycle power plant is lower than that of an IGCC plant; cogeneration of power and chemicals using the low cost solid or residual fuels can provide better overall economics. Economics is the most important factor in any co-production scheme. In general, all energy facilities are energy intensive. IGCC/chemical cogeneration facilities can reduce the amount of power consumption, and depending on the chemical production rate, excess power may be available for export. This paper provides a review of current industrial syngas applications using the conventional hydrocarbon as a feedstock. An overview of the gasification technology for power/chemical cogeneration that canmore » be used to replace the current technologies is provided. The overview includes the assessment of current syngas generation and cleaning technologies. This paper will also examine various industrial plant operating scenarios and provide economics for co-production schemes.« less