Low-carbon power generation from multiple fuels: Thermodynamic and economic analysis of power plants integrating CLC with supercritical CO2 cycle

The integration of chemical looping combustion (CLC) with the supercritical CO2 (sCO2) Brayton cycle offers a promising pathway toward high-efficiency and low-emission power generation. In this study, a comprehensive techno-economic evaluation was conducted on five CLC-sCO2 power generation systems fueled by natural gas, coal, and biomass. Furthermore, the applicability of in-situ and conventional gasification methods for solid fuels was assessed under various operating conditions. The optimal oxygen-to-carbon (O/C), steam-to-carbon (S/C), and steam-to-biomass (S/B) ratios were identified as 0.82, 0.14, and 0.15, respectively. Feedstock selection was found to significantly affect both thermodynamic efficiency and economic performance. The natural gas-based system achieved the highest energy efficiency of 53.67% by avoiding gasification penalty associated with solid fuels. Biomass-based systems exhibited the lowest total operating cost, whereas coal-based systems provided the most favorable trade-off between energy efficiency and economic performance. Notably, the coal-based system with in-situ gasification achieved the lowest levelized cost of electricity of 55.32 $/MWh and the shortest payback period of 4.23 years, while maintaining a CO2 capture rate of 92.39%. Overall, these results underscore the significant potential of CLC-sCO2 systems to enable efficient, cost-competitive, and low-carbon power generation.