CCS Chain Capacity Selection for Flexible Load Power Plant

Coupling flexible power generation with Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology may be important for substantial reductions in CO₂ emissions. In this paper we consider some of the implications of flexible power plant operation on the CCS process. Specifically, we consider the CCS chain capacity selection decision, by which we mean the choice of the optimal plant size, to understand what determines the amount of CO₂ that is efficient to capture and how the decision to invest in CCS chain capacity is affected by price volatility of CO₂ emissions quotas. We found that the plant's emissions profile determined a range of CCS capacities that could be efficient with the tradeoff between the price of CO₂ emissions quotas and the cost of CCS technology determining the specific optimal chain capacity. Secondly, investment into CCS technology for a flexible load power plant was more likely to be delayed in a multiple time point investment decision tree model as a result of price volatility, compared to investment in CCS technology on a base load power plant. Copyright © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.