Can exhaust gas recirculation help reduce carbon capture costs?

A new study conducted at combined-cycle units at Alabama Power’s Plant Barry finds GE Vernova’s EGR system could reduce the costs of carbon capture.

A new study shows promising results for the use of GE Vernova’s exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems to reduce the cost of carbon capture systems.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management released the official findings of the GE Vernova-led front-end engineering design (FEED) study, Retrofittable Advanced Combined-Cycle Integration for Flexible Decarbonized Generation.

The study evaluated retrofitting Southern Company subsidiary Alabama Power’s James M. Barry Electric Generating Plant, located in Bucks, Alabama, with technology capable of capturing up to 95% of the plant’s CO2 emissions. GE Vernova said the study demonstrated that the integration of the company’s EGR system could lead to a reduction of more than 6% of the total cost of the carbon capture facility, as compared to installing carbon capture without the EGR system.

The study was completed in collaboration with Southern Company, Linde, BASF and Kiewit, and explored the benefits of close integration between a natural gas combined-cycle (NGCC) plant and a carbon capture system. GE Vernova’s measures and technologies explored in the study included the use of NGCC steam in the carbon capture system facility, potential gas turbine upgrades, installing NGCC and carbon capture control systems and employing GE Vernova’s EGR system, which reintroduces part of the exhaust gas back into the gas turbine inlet.

“GE Vernova is grateful for the Department of Energy’s support of this study, the first of its kind to explore EGR technology applied in a gas power carbon capture plant” said Jeremee Wetherby, GE Vernova Carbon Solutions Leader. “We developed a holistic approach considering various integration measures building on our long history and expertise in power plant engineering, operation, upgrades and controls. Carbon capture is a crucial pathway to lowering carbon emissions from power generation to near-zero levels, and we are pleased with the benefits projected by the study – which naturally can vary from site to site but represent a valuable indicator of the possibilities at similar sites.”

The study said the effects of adding a carbon capture system to an NGCC power plant could be reduced through a series of integration measures, including the EGR system. GE Vernova has developed EGR systems for two decades, initially for nitrogen oxide (NOx) control and part-load efficiency benefits. In addition to this study, GE Vernova has demonstrated the commercial readiness of F- and H-class combustors operating with EGR at GE Vernova’s test facility in Greenville, South Carolina.

This study recognized the potential of an EGR system to deliver the following benefits as compared to a non-EGR system:

“As a provider of CO2 capture technology, we commend DOE’s leadership in advancing gas power decarbonization technology towards a clean and reliable energy future. The results of this FEED study underpin Linde’s belief that a collaborative approach between technology providers, end-users, and other stakeholders is essential in driving innovation and cost reduction in CO2 capture. We are committed to working with DOE and other partners to help decarbonize industry,” said Dominic Cianchetti, Senior Vice President, Region Americas, Linde.