Efficiency / Performance

Estimated net efficiency for near-term high efficiency 600 MW-size integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants, designed for Illinois No. 6 coal feed and without carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture, ranges from: ¹

• 38.2% (HHV) for the GE radiant-only gasification-based IGCC, to
• 39.3% (HHV) for the CoP E-Gas™ two-stage gasification-based IGCC, to
• 41.1% (HHV) for the Shell dry-feed gasification-based IGCC.

The above listing illustrates the relative IGCC efficiency advantage among the three gasification technologies. Because of the dry-feed technology eliminates the need to vaporize water in the gasifier, the Shell-based IGCC is more efficient than the two slurry-feed GE and Conoco Philips (CoP)-based IGCC. Between the two slurry-feed GE and CoP-based IGCC, the 2-stage CoP E-Gas™ technology is more efficient because of its lower operating temperature, as measured by the gasifier syngas exit temperature.   

A comparative performance study of the three IGCC plants has been completed by the NETL.¹ The design detail (process definition) and the degree of air separation unit (ASU)/gas turbine (GT) integration for the three IGCC schemes used to develop the performance tables are summarized in Table 1.

Table 2 illustrates the typical overall performances and environmental emissions for the GE, CoP, and Shell-based IGCC plants. Table 3 lists the overall plant energy balance breakdowns for each of the three IGCC schemes. Table 4 lists the overall power balances for the three schemes, broken down by individual auxiliary power usages. The auxiliary power distribution shown is for IGCC schemes based on elevated-pressure ASU integration with the GT operations.

Table 1: IGCC Process System Definitions

Overall IGCC Performance and Emissions Summary

Table 2: Overall IGCC Performances and Emissions Summary

Overall IGCC Energy Balance

Table 3: Overall IGCC Energy Balances

Overall IGCC Plant Power Balance

Table 4: Overall IGCC Power Balances

¹2007 DOE/NETL “Cost and Performance Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants”, Vol. 1

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