Life Cycle Analysis: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Power Plants Article Swipe
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· 2018
· Open Access
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· DOI: https://doi.org/10.2172/1542445
· OA: W2962294352
The life cycle environmental impacts and costs of 550-megawatt (MW) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power plants with and without carbon capture and operating at various capacity factors are evaluated in this analysis. To produce electricity, the fuel cells use syngas from Illinois No. 6 coal, natural gas, or a combination of both. These power plants are combined with the rest of the life cycle to provide a full inventory and translation of that inventory into environmental impacts. The life cycle includes Illinois Basin coal extraction, coal transport; Appalachian Shale natural gas extraction, processing, and transport; power plant construction; power plant operation material inputs; captured carbon pathways; and electricity transmission and distribution. The captured carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) is evaluated as being sequestered in a saline aquifer and being used in CO<sub>2</sub>-enhanced oil recovery (EOR), where CO<sub>2</sub> is sequestered in the oil-bearing formation.
