Optimal integration of linear Fresnel reflector with gas turbine cogeneration power plant

Abstract Solar energy is an abundant resource in many countries in the Sunbelt, especially in the middle east, countries, where recent expansion in the utilization of natural gas for electricity generation has created a significant base for introducing integrated solar‐natural gas power plants (ISGPP) as an optimal solution for electricity generation in these countries. ISGPP reduces the need for thermal energy storage in traditional concentrated solar thermal plants and results in dispatchable power on demand at lower cost than stand-alone concentrated thermal power and much cheaper than photovoltaic plants. Moreover, integrating concentrated solar power (CSP) with conventional fossil fuel based thermal power plants is quite suitable for large-scale central electric power generation plants and it can be implemented in the design of new installed plants or during retrofitting of existing plants. The main objective of the present work is to investigate the possible modifications of an existing gas turbine cogeneration plant, which has a gas turbine of 150 MWe electricity generation capacity and produces steam at a rate of 81.4 at 394 °C and 45.88 bars for an industrial process, via integrating it with concentrated solar power system. In this regard, many simulations have been carried out using Thermoflow software to explore the thermo-economic performance of the gas turbine cogeneration plant integrated with LFR concentrated solar power field. Different electricity generating capacities of the gas turbine and different areas of solar collectors have been examined. Thermoflow software simulation results have been used to identify the optimal configuration and sizing of the gas turbine and the solar field of the integrated solar gas turbine cogeneration plant (ISGCPP) required to achieve the required steam generation with the minimum cost and environmental impact. The study revealed that ISGCPP can reduce the levelized electricity cost by 76–85% relative to the fully-solar-powered LFR power plant. Moreover, the study identified the configuration of ISGCPP with a gas turbine size of 50 MWe capacity and 93 ha of LFR solar field as the optimally integrated plant. It reduces the annual CO 2 emission by 100 k Tonne (18%) in comparison with that emitted by the corresponding conventional plant with 50 MWe and 400 k tonne (43.75%) compared with that emitted by the original conventional plant with a gas turbine if 150 MWe power generation capacity. The study revealed also that integrating the LFR technology with a gas turbine cogeneration power plant in locations with high solar insolation was proved to have more economic feasibility than CO 2 capturing technology. Under Dhahran weather conditions, the LEC of about 5 USȻ/kW h is obtained using the proposed optimally configured ISGCPP compared with about 7.5 USȻ/kW h obtained by the corresponding conventional cycle integrated with carbon capture technology. In other words, the ISGCPP reduces the LEC by 50% while achieving the same reduction of CO 2 emission by an equivalent conventional plant integrated with carbon capture technology.